Love is Timeless
by CWhat
Summary: AU Brittana- Brittany Pierce, born at the turn of the 20th century, is rendered ageless after an accident. After many solitary years, she meets a woman, Santana Lopez, who complicates the eternal life she has settled into.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Brittana fic based off of the movie Age of Adaline— great movie that I would recommend seeing.**

* * *

 **December 31st- 2014**

"Okay, I have your passport, Driver's ID, and social security cards. That's what you wanted, right?"

Brittany Pierce looks over the different forms of identification and nods slowly. She accepts them from the young man and tucks them away in her purse, before handing over a large wad of cash. "Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate this, Jonas."

Jonas blushes, but plays it off with a small shrug. "Oh, it's no problem. I do have one question though."

"Yes?"

Jonas watches Brittany carefully as he sets the cash on his desk. He then takes a step closer to the woman and smiles. "Why choose twenty-nine for your age? You could easily pass for twenty-five." He semi-teases, and Brittany laughs.

"You're too sweet." Brittany tosses her purse over her shoulder and heads to the apartment's door. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome, again." Jonas smiles. "When did you say you were moving?"

"A few weeks. A change in scenery will be nice for me." Brittany says softly. "I love the city, I always have and surely always will, but I've been here for too long."

Jonas nods. "I understand. Where are you moving to?"

"That is classified information." Brittany laughs and opens the front door quietly. "I do have a question for you before I leave, though." She says, mimicking the question she received earlier.

"Go for it."

"Why do you make fake IDs?" Brittany asks, sighing at Jonas's shrug. "You have so much potential, Jonas, I've seen it for myself. Don't spend the rest of your life doing this, go make something of yourself. I know you can."

"Maybe I will." Jonas smiles shyly and reaches to hold the door open for Brittany. "Thanks Emily."

"You're very welcome." Brittany replies with a genuine smile. "Have a great day."

"You too." Jonas nods, opening the door wider as Brittany walks out of the apartment and heads down the series of steps. Once on the street, Brittany easily whistles for a cab, which is not at all as difficult as it should be on a Friday afternoon in Manhattan.

"Johnson and Bronson's book store on the corner of third, please." Brittany states as she climbs into the cab and closes the door. "I'm running a little behind schedule, so if we could get there quickly I would very much appreciate it."

"There's a traffic jam on Houston so I may take longer than you'd like, Miss." The cab driver states as he pulls off the curb.

"Could you try turning on Avenue A, taking a left on Bowery, taking a right on Johnson, curve around the corner on third avenue and dropping me by Cooper square?" Brittany asks simply.

The cab driver glances at Brittany through the rearview mirror with surprise, before smiling slowly. "You sure you don't want to drive?" He teases, and Brittany laughs.

* * *

"Emily! Isn't today your day off?" Jonathan, Brittany's boss exclaims as soon as the blonde walks through the old, mahogany doors. "I'm sure it's your day off because I had Samson working a double this morning."

Brittany laughs and smiles sweetly. "You're right, it is my day off. But you know how much I love this place, it's nearly impossible for me to stay away."

"Eh, I wish all New Yorkers had your positive attitude. With all the iPhones and iPads and whatever the hell else it is that we have today, it seems like no one enjoys reading a good book anymore." Jonathan sighs and shakes his head, frowning at the situation. "I'm telling ya, it seems like no one appreciates books, not even in the slightest. I think these people forget that there was a time when their _weren't_ high quality devices where you could pull up an article or somethin' on your cell phone. Books have been around for centuries."

"Yes they have." Brittany agrees, almost solemnly. "Which is why I love them as much as I do. Even as time changes, books continue to stay the same." She traces her index finger delicately over the small red book in her hands and smiles. "It's nice to see."

Jonathan nods and grabs a ring of keys off of the bookshelf next to him. "Indeed. Now, Bethany found an old box of film reels from ages ago it seems. I would really appreciate it if you could sort through them for me. I know it's a lot to ask, but no one else will do it and I'm getting pretty desperate."

"I would love to." Jonathan tosses Brittany the keys and she catches them with ease. "I'm assuming they are in the storage room?"

Jonathan smiles proudly. "You got it, Jones. And don't keep yourself cooped up back there all day, I want you out of here by four alright? It's New Year's Eve, get out there and have some fun!"

Brittany chuckles. "I will." She promises him while placing the little red book back on the shelf. She heads towards the storage room in the back of the store after Jonathan waves her goodbye, and politely greets the coworkers she passes on the way there. The door opens with ease and Brittany steps inside, setting her purse on the floor and shutting the door close behind her. She places the keys carefully on top of her purse, knowing she wouldn't forget them if she put them there, and flips on the light switch.

"Whoa." Brittany smiles at the several boxes filled to the top with film reels. She moves to the box closest to the front and begins taking each film reel out one by one, reading the label and carefully sorting them into stacks. Brittany pauses when she comes across a reel with _Manhattan, NY, 1900s_ written across it in black ink. She glances at the film projector in the middle of the room and back to the film reel, before climbing off of the box she had been sitting atop of and turning on the projector, skillfully inserting the film reel.

Brittany watches the footage in silence.

The first thing that appears are the streets on Manhattan, filled with men in suits and horses and carriages. Brittany doesn't remember much from that time, being that she was born in the same year, 1908. On New Year's Day, to be exact. Her parents had dubbed her as the miracle baby, and the name had stuck ever since.

As the film continues it seems to fast forward a few years, around 1928, Brittany thinks— and is sure when she sees the footage of people celebrating the the return of the U.S.'s troops from China in the streets. She married her husband that year, in the oldest Catholic Church in the city at the time. They were young and in love, and while her husband was stuck on starting a family then, Brittany wanted to wait. She regretted that decision in 1931, when her husband was killed during his time in the military, leaving her as a widow.

The film begins to play footage from the beginning of one of New York's most memorable blizzards. Brittany shifts in her seat— because she remembers that day better than anything else in her entire life. It was 1937, and Brittany had been driving to her parent's house in New Jersey. The snow had already began to fall, but Brittany was convinced that she could make it before it got too bad. Around eight o'clock that night, the roads were nearly deserted and the snow was falling harder, causing the roads to ice. When Brittany made an attempt to turn, the car swerved into the river, and the impact from the freezing water along with the internal damage from the crash almost immediately caused her heart to stop. Brittany was sure she was dead. Then the unexplainable happened. One second Brittany's body was floating in the water, and the next she was climbing onto the closest source of land she could find, which luckily wasn't too far away. Despite the cuts and bruises from the car, and the shivering from the water— Brittany was fine.

Nothing abnormal seemed to happen until the years began to pass. Five, ten, fifteen years would go by and Brittany would stay the same. Her hair continued to stay bright and blonde, her skin continued to be smooth— almost immune to any wrinkles or bags and she continued to be tall and lean for years and years. As her friends, family, and acquaintances began to age, Brittany did not. The people around her became suspicious and confused, as did the blonde.

It wasn't until 1950, when Brittany had been pulled over by a cop for a speed issue and was suspicious when he checked her license, which stated that she was forty two, informing her that he would have it down at the police station for her to pick up the next day— Brittany realized she couldn't stay in one place for a long period of time and fled. She's been moving around the area of New York ever since, had decided that she will spend her life running away with a new look and identity every decade.

And now, over a century later, Brittany sits in _Johnson and Bronson's_ book store with the same appearance she had in nineteen thirty-seven. She hasn't aged a day.

The film shuts off and Brittany glances at her watch, wincing slightly at the amount of time that had gone by. She knew Jonathan would be coming back here soon to kick her out, as kindly as possible of course.

Brittany places the film back where she found it and picks up her purse and the storage room's keys off of the floor. She glances around the room once more, before turning the light off and leaving silently.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Brittany yells and closes the door to her apartment behind her. She tosses her purse aside and immediately crouches down on her knees at the perfect time, just as her Cavalier Spaniel, Della, rounds the corner at full speed.

"Hey baby." Brittany coos and scratches behind the Della's ears, laughing when she barks excitedly. "You're adorable." She chuckles and scoops the dog up in her arms. She walks further into the living room, picking up an old photo album off of the shelf before sitting on the couch closest to the window.

Della settles in her lap and lowers her head. "See, this is your great grandmother. She was born near the same place as my great grandmother, but not at the same time of course." Brittany points to a black and white picture of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel almost identical to Della. "She was always just as excited as you when I came home, except we had carpeted floors back then so she never slid into the wall like you do." Brittany laughs.

Della whines and Brittany pouts. "Okay, okay, I know you don't like when I joke about it. I'm sorry." She smiles and scratches behind Della's ears gently as an apology.

Brittany continues to flip through the old photo album, smiling faintly as she passes the numerous pictures from over decades ago. She finally closes the book when the phone rings, and she utters Della an apology as she climbs off of the couch and picks up the phone. "Hello?"

" _It's about time you answered, I've been calling all day!_ "

Brittany laughs. "I've been at work most of the day Laura, I'm sorry."

" _You work too much Karen, you know how old we are! I will never understand how you have this much energy at our age."_

Brittany smiles and leans against the wall, twirling the chord attached to the phone. _"_ I know, I should be proud actually, I left work before nine tonight."

" _You and your love for books, something else I'll never understand. Possibly because I'm blind, but then again who knows._ " Brittany chuckles along with Laura and shakes her head.

"You're crazy."

" _That I am. Anyway, I was calling to tell you some great news. I assume you don't have any plans for tonight?_ "

"I do not, you're right." Brittany winks at Della, who is watching her from across the room. "Why, did you have something in mind?"

" _I was invited to attend the annual New Year's Eve party at Rockefeller, and I was told I could bring a guest. Have you been?_ "

Brittany smiles faintly. "Once, many years ago. And if this is your way of inviting me, I would love to come with you."

" _Fantastic, I was afraid I would have to come to that apartment of yours and drag you down there._ "

"That won't be necessary." Brittany laughs. "I will meet you there around ten, okay?"

" _Okay. Don't be late_!"

Brittany rolls her eyes, but smiles anyway. "I wouldn't dream of it. Goodbye, Laura."

" _Goodbye, Karen._ "

Brittany hangs up the phone and turns to face Della, wiggling her brows playfully. "Looks like I'm going out tonight. Let's see what I can find to wear."

* * *

"Happy New Year's Eve." Brittany says louder than usual into Laura's ear as she takes the empty seat next to her. The room is filled with hundreds of well-dressed people, ranging from the age of twenty one to older than anyone has the disrespect to ask, and the classical music is playing loudly, along with the noise from the party.

"Hey! I thought you had ditched me." Laura smiles and reaches for Brittany's hand. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Me too." Brittany replies honestly. "Have I missed anything big?"

"Oh no, no. I've been having a grand time so far." Laura says, and Brittany smiles while taking a sip of champagne.

"I think you have someone checking you out." Brittany whispers as a young man begins to approach their table from across the room.

"Ooh, appearance?"

"Dirty blonde with icy blues. Tall, probably around his late twenties or early thirties." Brittany rattles off.

"We are such cougars." Laura chuckles and shakes her head. "We always seem to attract the young ones."

"Hello, ladies. How are you enjoying the party so far?" The young man asks, focusing his eyes solely on Brittany as he speaks. "I take it a beautiful woman as yourself is having a good time?" He smiles, and Brittany resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"I don't know why the young ones always go after you," Laura laughs. "You must be aging better than me, I'm sure that's what it is."

"No, of course not." Brittany smiles at her friend, before turning back to the man. "We are having a lovely time, thank you for asking."

"A fabulous time. I'm trying to convince my friend here to get out on the dance floor with me." Laura says and nudges Brittany's side.

"Oh no, I'm good." Brittany shakes her head. "But I'm sure he would love to dance with you, Laur." She suggests and looks back to the young man with a raised brow.

"Well, that would be just marvelous." Laura smiles brightly as Brittany helps her out of her chair. Brittany nods her head towards her friend, and the young man quickly slips his arm through the older woman's.

"Now don't get too crazy out there." Brittany playfully warns.

"Oh hush Karen, if I want to get wild and crazy tonight I will." Laura laughs as the young man leads her away.

Brittany leans back in her seat and takes another sip from her champagne glass, watching the scene around her. Her mind drifts back to several years ago, almost too long ago to remember clearly, when she had attend the party with two of her good friends, Jamison and Charles.

 _"Look, Britt, he's tryin' to take our photograph!" Charles exclaimed and pointed towards the older man in front of their table. "Quit holdin' him up with your shenanigans, I want a photograph to remember this day."_

 _"Oh come on Charlie, we're just kidding around." Brittany laughed. "We have several photographs already, what makes this one any different?"_

 _"It's New Year's Eve Britt! Ten minutes away til' the countdown begins and before we know it, it'll be nineteen forty! We gotta get this picture, cause it's one of those moments we wanna remember forever. Right Charlie?" Jamison stated and reached across Brittany to slap Charles's arm._

 _"Exactly. Take the photograph, sir." Charles nodded to the man._

 _Brittany turned to smile at the camera, just as Jamison playfully poked her side and she laughed loudly, causing Charles to laugh as well when the flash went off._

"Ma'am?"

"What?" Brittany shakes her head and looks to the man standing next to her expectantly. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to dance." The man repeats.

Brittany smiles apologetically and shakes her head no. "Not at this moment, but thank you for asking." She says sincerely.

"Oh, uh, no problem." The man scratches the back of his neck awkwardly and quickly walks away.

Brittany's eyes drift around the chaos happening around her, from alcoholic drinks being spilt to wild and out of control dancing, until they land on a stunning Latina in a red gown. Brittany's eyes widen slightly as she takes in the woman's appearance, looking from the black pumps on her feet to her plump lips painted red.

Brittany gasps slightly when she meet's the Latina's dark and smokey eyes, which just so happen to be staring directly back at her. Brittany doesn't move, or blink, and neither does the woman— and they hold the intense gaze for what feels like hours, even.

That is until a brunette approaches the Latina with two glasses of champagne and kisses her cheek. Brittany quickly looks away and clears her throat, deciding that it's time to go home.

It doesn't take long for her to find Laura, who is dancing with a different man than before, and Brittany smiles faintly as she approaches her friend. "Don't have too much fun without me tonight." She yells over the loud music.

"No, you're leaving already?" Laura responds and briefly lets go of the man's hands.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Brittany promises and places a soft kiss against Laura's cheek, before turning on her heels and moving towards the doors. She's forced to squeeze past a series of people before she manages to get outside of the room.

Brittany checks the time on her phone when she hears the crowd chanting as she makes her way down the hallway.

 _"Ten!"_

 _"Nine!"_

 _"Eight!"_

 _"Seven!"_

 _"Six!"_

 _"Five!"_

 _"Four!"_

 _"Three!"_

 _"Two!"_

 _"One!"_

 _"Happy New Year!"_

At exactly midnight, Brittany glances out of one the large windows lined across the walls and smiles at the series of fireworks crackling in the sky. "Happy Birthday to me." She whispers to herself, before turning around and heading towards the elevators.

Brittany hits the button for the lobby and leans back against the wall, exhaling slowly. She jumps when a tan hand jams it's way between the doors before they have a chance to shut, causing them to open again.

"Ow, fuck." The Latina Brittany immediately recognizes from the party grumbles and slips inside the elevator. "Fuck, that hurt."

Brittany giggles slightly and shakes her head. "You probably shouldn't have done that." She tells the woman softly.

"Probably not." The gorgeous Latina agrees and nods her head. "But it was worth it." She says smoothly, and throws a wink in Brittany's direction.

Brittany blushes and averts her attention to the numbers flashing on the small screen. "How so?" She manages to ask.

"I had to figure out some way to meet you." The woman shrugs. "What better way than in an elevator. It seemed romantic enough or— shit, you probably think I'm some creepy stalker."

Brittany laughs. "Maybe a little."

"Right." The Latina chuckles and stares at Brittany carefully. "I'm Santana. Santana Lopez." She stretches her hand out towards Brittany, who shakes it hesitantly. "I don't bite." Santana laughs.

Brittany shrugs. "You never know. Better safe than sorry."

Santana laughs again, and Brittany finds herself becoming to love the sound of it. "What about you? What's your name gorgeous?"

"Oh- uh, Emily. Emily Jones." Brittany replies and pulls her hand away from Santana's when the elevator dings.

"Emily." Santana smiles, following Brittany through the sea of people and out of the building.

"Taxi?" The doorman asks Brittany, who nods.

"Please." Brittany glances to her left, and notices Santana still standing with her. "Umm, won't your date realize you're gone?" Brittany asks.

Santana stares back at her in confusion. "Date?" She frowns.

Brittany sighs. "Yeah, you know, the woman you were with earlier. The one who kissed your cheek?"

"The one who— Oh!" Santana's eyes widen when she realizes who Brittany is referring to. Instead of the apology the blonde was excepting to receive, she gets laughter instead. "No, no, that wasn't my date. It was cousin, Lena." Santana explains.

"Oh." Brittany nods. She's relieved when a cab stops by the curb and the doorman opens the door for her. "Umm, it was nice meeting you Santana." She says while climbing into the cab. "Chinatown." Brittany tells the driver.

"Wait!" The cab halts to a stop as Santana's hand grips onto the side of the opened window. "How do I see you again?" Santana asks quickly.

Brittany smiles tiredly and shakes her head. "Goodbye Santana." She replies softly, before the cab pulls away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all your follows, favorites and reviews.**

* * *

Two days after the New Year's Eve bash at Rockefeller, Brittany's back in her normal routine. She leaves her apartment at eight-twelve after cuddling and feeding Della, and manages to haul a cab in less than five minutes— then she begins to take longer shifts at _Johnson & Bronson's_ just because, despite Jonathan's opinion. Brittany thinks schedule is important. She enjoys having her days planned out, and her nights to be calm and spent at home with Della. She makes lasagna every Thursday night because it's her favorite dish, and has an all-white omelet every morning. Routine is what functions Brittany's life, and she prefers to keep it that way.

So when Brittany is placing the new stock of books _Johnson & Bronson_ recently received from a library in New Jersey on a late Tuesday afternoon, the last thing she expects is to see Santana Lopez walking through the front doors.

"Great." Brittany sighs and ducks behind the nearest bookshelf, hoping the avoid being seen. Still, she watches Santana as she approaches the front desk and chats briefly with Jonathan, before handing over what Brittany thinks is a check and turning to leave.

Santana's head snaps in Brittany's direction when the blonde trips over a little black book on the floor. She raises a curious brow and watches as Brittany just barely catches herself before colliding with the floor. "Emily?"

"Oh," Brittany smooths down her white sweater and nods slowly. "Y-yeah. Umm, do I know you?"

Santana cocks her head to the side adorably and squints her eyes. "Yes... Remember? The New Year's Eve party? I stopped you in an elevator?"

"Oh, yes, I kind of remember that." Brittany lies. It's all she's been thinking about for the last few days, if she were being honest.

"Whoa, wait, you two know each other?" Jonathan smiles. Brittany groans inwardly, knowing the conversation will probably last longer than she would've liked. "I didn't know Emily got out of the house." He teases.

Santana laughs. "Yes, well we ran into each other on New Year's Eve. Well I guess it was technically New Year's Day, but it's whatever." She shrugs, and Brittany has to bite back her smile.

"Ms. Lopez here is donating big bucks to our bookstore." Jonathan informs Brittany. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her enough, with the money she donated we'll be able to buy a whole new series of poetry, and I know how much you love poetry Em. Santana is truly a blessing."

Santana blushes and waves off the compliment. "Nah, I'm nothing special."

"Oh please, I beg to differ!" Jonathan exclaims. "You're a fine young lady Ms. Lopez, we appreciate it greatly."

"Well I've known this bookstore since I was a little girl, it's the least I could do." Santana says shyly.

Brittany looks to Santana curiously. "Seriously?" She asks with slight wonderment. Brittany never would have pictured Santana as the book type.

"Yep. My father used to bring me here all the time when I was younger, reading was one of my favorite things to do." Santana smiles.

"I need to check this shipment ladies, I'll leave you two at it." Jonathan smiles and waves to Santana, before disappearing towards the back of the store.

Brittany shifts uncomfortably. "I should probably get back to work..."

"Oh! Oh yeah, of course." Santana nods and moves to the side so that Brittany can pass. "Ummm, can I ask you a question before I go?"

"Depends on what the question is." Brittany states, but has a hint of teasing in her tone.

"Can I take you out?" Santana asks while rocking on her heels. "Like, I mean, it doesn't have to be anything big or extravagant if you don't want it to be."

Brittany sighs and places one of the books in her hands back on the bookshelf. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She replies softly.

Santana frowns. "Why not?"

"Take my word when I say that it won't, okay?" Brittany shakes her head and leans against the wall to her left. "It's easier this way."

Santana scrunches up her nose in confusion. "But, I don't understand what the harm of having lunch could do." She says slowly.

"You're right, you don't understand." Brittany nods. "I have to go, have a nice day, Santana."

Santana watches with a frown as Brittany gathers the discarded books in her arms and walks away without a second glance.

* * *

Brittany walks into work the next morning slightly sweaty and out of breath, due to her alarm clock going off late that morning, and then her coffee spilling twice on herself, forcing her to change her outfit. She throws the empty paper bag from the bakery down the street in the trash can and quickly pulls her hair into a messy ponytail.

"Hey Em," Bethany smiles and gives the blonde a small wave as she approaches. "Jonathan told me to tell you that he had a meeting this morning, and would be in around noon."

"Okay, that's fine." Brittany nods.

"Oh, and there's something for you at the register." Bethany states while motioning towards the front of the store. "Someone dropped those off for your around seven."

"For me?" Brittany frowns and looks across the store, raising a brow at the large bouquet of flowers placed by the register. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, some guy dropped them off. He looked very spiffy." Bethany shrugs.

"Oh...okay." Brittany nods slowly.

"Whoever it is, they must really like you." Bethany smiles and juggles the books in one hand while patting Brittany's shoulder with the other. "You're a lucky girl, Emily." She adds, before moving to the bookcases behind them.

"I guess..." Brittany murmurs and tightens her ponytail as she walks to the front. She examines the flowers before touching them, just to make sure nothing might hop out. "They are pretty," Brittany admits, then notices the small note attached to the side. She quickly opens it and quietly reads the scripted writing aloud.

 _I really hope you like these flowers, unless this seems creepy and you may think I'm some stalker. Again._

 _Anyway, if you ever have second thoughts about going to lunch with me, give me a call_

 _—_ _Santana Lopez_

Brittany smiles at the ten digit phone number under Santana's name. She begins to pull out her phone to add Santana as a contact, before catching herself and quickly shaking her head.

"I can't." Brittany sighs and tosses the card away. She then grabs the bouquet of flowers and steps outside the bookstore, handing them to an elderly Asian woman that begins to pass her.

"For me?" The woman asks with a smile.

"For you." Brittany nods and gives a genuine smile. "Have a nice day."

* * *

"Karen, come on or you'll make us miss the early bird special!" Laura exclaims and nudges Brittany forwards. "We missed it last week because you took too long finding an outfit. I'm glad I don't have that problem anymore."

Brittany laughs. "How many times am I going to have to apologize for that?" Laura rolls her eyes and Brittany grins. "And I made it up to you by buying two hotdogs from one of those carts in Central Park, so give me a break."

Laura shakes her head. "Still, nothing compares to Provinos. I've been coming here since the nineteen-forties and I'll never get sick of it."

"I know, I know. We'll be there soon." Brittany promises and loops her arm through Laura's. "Five minutes max."

Almost seven minutes later, Brittany and Laura walk into Provinos. Brittany sighs with relief when she sees that the restaurant isn't very busy at all, so she knows it shouldn't take long for them to get a table. "Just two, please." Brittany tells the hostess with a polite smile.

"Name?"

"Jones."

"It'll be about a five minute wait. Is that okay?" The hostess asks after jotting down the name.

Brittany nods. "That's fine, thank you." She leads Laura to the waiting area by the door and seats them furthest away from the crowd. "See, I told you we'd make it on time. Have a little faith." She teases.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll believe it after you cover the check." Laura chuckles.

"Oh, so now I'm paying too?" Brittany laughs. "Last time I checked this wasn't a date."

"Please, you should be honored to have me as a date. When was the last time you went on one anyway?" Laura nudges Brittany with her elbow and smiles. "A friend of mind works for that spiffy website, . I'm sure I can find you a boyfriend or girlfriend on there if you would like."

Brittany shakes her head. "I don't mind being single, I prefer it actually."

Laura sighs. "If you insist, Hun."

"Jones, party of 2?"

"Come on, I'll even order those breadsticks you love." Brittany tells Laura while walking her to their table. She smiles when the hostess seats them under one of the big windows.

"Your waitress will be out shortly." The hostess informs them, before walking back to the front desk.

"I'm going to the restroom to freshen up, if our waitress comes just order me an ice water with lemon." Brittany days and sets her purse in the empty seat next to her. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time, dear. I'm not going anywhere."

Brittany smiles and gently brushes Laura's shoulder as she walks past her. She heads to the back of the restaurant and enters the ladies' room, combing through her hair with her fingers.

Brittany bends down to grab a discarded paper towel from under the sink and tosses it in the trash can. She accidentally bumps into someone when she steps back, and quickly turns around to apologize. "Oh my..."

"Wow." Santana laughs and claps her hands together behind her back. "This is getting kind of weird."

"Yes, very weird." Brittany agrees wearily. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking up lunch for my brother and his girlfriend. They love this place and she's pregnant, so she's been having cravings and I offered to stop by." Santana shrugs.

Brittany smiles softly. "That was kind of you."

Santana blushes and ducks her head. "I don't know about that. It's just lunch."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to come across town to get Italian food for your brother's pregnant girlfriend, yet you did anyway." Brittany playfully pokes Santana's left bicep, and the Latina laughs. "I think it was _very_ kind of you, Santana."

Santana rolls her eyes, but grins widely anyway. "You like to see me blush, don't you?"

Brittany chuckles. "Maybe a little."

"Did you get my flowers?" Santana asks shyly and tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I-I wasn't sure because I never heard anything from you."

"I did, and they were beautiful." Brittany tells Santana with a soft smile. "Thank you for sending me them."

Santana nods slowly. "You're welcome." She replies quietly. Brittany opens her mouth to say something else, but Santana beats her to it, "Please go out with me." She blurts.

"Huh?" Brittany frowns.

"Emily, I just, I don't know what else to do. I'm clearly very bad at this whole romantic gesture thing." Santana sighs and shakes her head, leaning back against the wall. "Or are you really just not into me? Because if you aren't, then I'll back off and never bother you again."

Brittany sighs. "Santana..."

"No, Emily, please just hear me out." Santana looks deep into Brittany's eyes, and the blonde feels her breath catch. "I really like you, and I think the fact that you keep refusing me makes me like you even more. Dumb, I know." Santana shrugs. "I knew, from the first time I saw you sitting by the fountain in Central Park reading a book in Braille, that I had to talk to you. It took me awhile, but when I saw you wave at that little boy that ran past you, I realized you weren't blind."

"Oh wow..." Brittany stares at Santana in awe. "I actually remember that day. How did I not notice you?"

"I was watching from a distance." Santana explains. She then blushes deeply and covers her face with her hands. "Jeez, I do sound like a creeper. Please don't get a restraining order or some shit on me."

Brittany laughs softly. "I won't."

"Just one lunch." Santana states, bringing their conversation from earlier back into the loop. "And if you absolutely can't stand me after that, then I will never bother you again."

"Santana, I—"

"Just _one_." Santana repeats, almost pleading. Brittany averts her eyes to the floor and stares hard at the different stains covering the hardwood. She lets out a deep exhale and briefly closes her eyes, before opening them slowly, and is immediately met with Santana's dark ones.

"Okay." Brittany nods faintly. "One lunch."


	3. Chapter 3

"White or blue?" Brittany holds up both sweaters, still on the hanger, and gives them a little shake. "Or neither? I don't know, I haven't had to do this for years."

Della barks once. "You agree, girl?" Brittany smiles when Della barks again. "Okay, let me see what else I can find." Brittany tosses the sweaters on the edge of her bed and moves back inside her walk in closet. She sorts through the various sweaters, blouses, and dresses she's collected over the years— becoming frustrated when she can't find anything she approves of. "Maybe I just shouldn't go..."

Della barks several times, and Brittany laughs. "Okay, okay, I'll go. I just— I feel weird, you know? I don't know what this is exactly...like is it a date?" Brittany shrugs and pushes through the rack of jeans. "It can't be a date, and I think that's what Santana wants it to be."

"Because it wouldn't work!" Brittany sighs when Della whines. "You know it wouldn't work, that is exactly why I try to avoid situations like these." Brittany glances over her shoulder and scans the opposite wall of her closet. Her eyes widen when she notices the sheer white top hanging on the corner of her dresser and she scrambles to her feet. Brittany snags the shirt off the hanger and smiles down at it. "Perfect."

* * *

Santana jumps to her feet when she notices Brittany walking into the restaurant. She quickly smooths down her dress and waves the waiter over. "I need two ice waters and a bottle of red wine, please. As soon as possible, if you can." Santana smiles and slips a $20 bill to the waiter, before kindly shooing him away.

"Hi." Brittany breathes out and nervously shifts in front of Santana. She fiddles with the hem of her top, watching closely as Santana's heel-cladded feet take a step closer towards her.

"Hey," Santana looks over Brittany's outfit and her eyes soften, "You look great."

Brittany blushes. "Thank you." She smiles. "You do as well. Should we sit?"

"Oh! Oh yes, obviously." Santana chuckles and quickly moves to pull out Brittany's chair, before taking her own seat across from the blonde. "Umm, have you been here before?" She asks while picking up her menu.

Brittany nods. "I actually have, but far too many years ago."

Santana wrinkles her brow. "Oh, okay. Well I'm sure they've come up with new things on the menu since then— but if you want to order whatever you usually order that's fine too. I just, whatever you want is fine." Santana smiles. Brittany notices the way her hand is shaking slightly and chuckles softly.

"Are you okay, Santana?" Brittany questions gently. "You look a little pale.."

Santana frowns. "Huh? Yes I'm fine, why do you ask?" She stumbles over her words, and Brittany finds it adorable. "Do I not seem okay?"

Brittany motions towards Santana's shaking hand and smiles. "You're shaking..." She points out with soft eyes. "You don't have to be nervous, if that's what you are worried about."

Santana blushes and quickly places the menu back on the table, tucking her hands under her thighs briefly. "I–I just don't want to seem like I'm forcing you to be here or anything...because you can totally leave if you want to. It won't hurt my feelings or anything, okay well maybe a little." Santana shrugs and runs her fingertips over the edge of the table. "I'm sorry I'm being so weird, I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable." She murmurs.

"You're not." Brittany assures the woman. "Santana, if I didn't want to be here then I wouldn't have came. You're not forcing me to be here in any way, I have control over my own life. Okay?"

Santana seems to relax a little more and nods slowly. "Okay." Santana breathes out and smiles. "So, um, tell me about yourself?"

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"Where were you born? Here or someplace else?" Santana asks.

"Here, in Manhattan. Not too far from _here_ , actually." Brittany informs the Latina with a smile. "Off the corner of Johnson in my aunt's apartment building. I was due earlier than I was scheduled for, so everyone was surprised to say the least."

Santana laughs. "I bet."

"It was New Year's Day, actually." Brittany states and Santana's eyes widen. "My parents always called me the miracle baby— since I was born into the new year."

"Your birthday, wait, I saw you on your birthday!" Santana frowns. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

"Because I didn't know you." Brittany laughs. "Even now, I still don't know you very well."

"Well, let's change that." Santana shrugs, leaning forward in her chair. She props her elbows up on the table and smiles at Brittany. "Ask me anything."

Brittany nods. "Where were you born? And when?"

"November 24th, 1984 in Lima, Ohio." Santana scowls. "It was the most boring fucking place in the world. When I say that there was absolutely nothing to do there, I mean it."

"Sounds exciting." Brittany laughs and continues to flip through the menu. "What made you decide to move to New York?"

"I went to college at Columbia." Santana informs the blonde with a smile. "It was always a dream of mine to move here, and while I was more focused on becoming a star in the big city, I realized I needed to do something realistic with my life."

"Like a singer?" Brittany questions.

Santana nods. "I was in my high school's glee club, and even though I hated to admit it, I loved it. Singing has always been a huge part of me, and it's always been a dream of mine to have it as a career choice."

"So why not pursue it?" Brittany frowns. "If it was something you loved, why did you give up on it?"

"I didn't give up on it." Santana snaps, before sighing and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." She says quietly.

"It's okay, I'm sorry for throwing questions at you." Brittany nods.

"No, um, it's fine. I told you to ask me questions anyway." Santana rolls her eyes at herself. "But a girl can only get rejected so many times before it becomes too much. I was barely able to eat a decent meal for months because I was so determined to get any type of gig, but I never got any calls. My parents continued to help support me, but I didn't want to have to rely on them, you know? I was nineteen, I wanted to be able to provide for myself and show that I could be independent."

Brittany nods, urging for her to continue.

"Luckily I had my backup plan, which was my acceptance from Columbia, so I put singing on the back burner while I handled my college classes. I got a part time job at an ice cream shop down the street from my apartment building and worked there Monday-Wednesday, and then on the weekends." Santana chuckles and shakes her head. "I absolutely hated working there. The customers were always rude and the same white lady would come in during the days I had to work to make racist comments and complaints about how I always sabotaged her ice cream." Santana snorts.

Brittany laughs loudly, causing Santana's smile to widen. "Are you serious? What would she say to you?" She asks curiously.

"One time she tried to order in Spanish, which was completely offensive by the way, and then when I told her I was from Ohio she said _"_ Oh, I didn't know there were Mexicans in Ohio. _""_

"You're lying!" Brittany snorts, shaking her head as her body trembles with laughter. "Oh my god, that's terrible but hilarious. I wish I could've seen it myself."

Santana shrugs. "I would've cussed her out, but I needed the job. I mean, I guess I probably could've found somewhere else to work, but I didn't think there could be a job easier than scooping ice cream in cups and bowls for rude New Yorkers so I stayed."

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do now?" Brittany wonders aloud. "I'm assuming it's a fairly nice job, from what I've seen of you I wouldn't think you'd be working as a waitress or anything."

"Definitely not a waitress, not that there's anything wrong with that." Santana smiles and shrugs her shoulders. "But hey, we both have our secrets. It's what keeps a relationship interesting in the beginning." She winks.

"Relationship, huh?" Brittany asks calmly, trying to ignore the sudden butterflies in her stomach.

Santana shrugs again, and Brittany sees nothing more than the mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "You never know what could happen."

Brittany hums in agreement and focuses back on her menu, realizing she still had no idea what she wanted. But her mind was focused on other things, _priorities_ , and especially what Santana had said moments ago.

The _r_ word Brittany refused to say, or even think about, knowing what the future would hold for the two of them.

* * *

Santana and Brittany walk down one of the empty paths in Central Park side by side while exchanging embarrassing stories from their childhood. Brittany had just finished explaining how she got her head stuck in the washer when a roar of thunder booms through the sky.

"Shit, it wasn't supposed to snow today." Santana frowns and stares up at the dark clouds. "Fuck the snow, always messing up my hair." She grumbles.

Brittany chuckles and Santana glares at her. "No snow in January? That's highly unlikely." She teases. "And a little snow never hurt nobody." Brittany smirks.

"Oh yeah? I beg to differ." Santana huffs. "I leave the house looking like and come back looking like 1990's Diana Ross."

Brittany throws her head back, laughing loudly. "I'm sure that's not true." She manages to say through giggles. "Besides, Diana Ross was hot in the 1990's."

Santana snorts. "I guess." She shrugs. "So... when will I see you again?"

Brittany sighs. "I don't know." She says honestly.

"Can I take you out again?" Santana asks quickly with hopeful eyes. "And, just so you know, it would really damage my feelings if you say no."

" _Really_ damage them, huh?" Brittany teases.

"Really really." Santana smiles. "Come on, please? I can make it, like, a thousand times better than just lunch, too."

"Santana..."

"How about a deal?" Santana smiles.

Brittany laughs and shakes her head at Santana's persistency. "What kind of deal?"

"Hmmm," Santana taps her chin thoughtfully, staring up at the clear blue sky. "If I make you laugh, then you have to go out with me again." She says confidently.

Brittany raises a brow. "Oh, really?" Santana nods. "Go for it, then."

"Okay, ummm, let me think." Santana moves giddily as she thinks up the perfect joke to tell Brittany. She goes over the ones she knows well in her head before choosing one, hoping Brittany would find it as funny as she had. "Okay, do you know anything about baseball? Or Ted Williams?"

Brittany chuckles and nods. "Of course, he went 6-for-8 in the double-header and finished the '41 season with his famous .406 average."

Santana stops abruptly and stares at Brittany with her mouth slightly open. Brittany stops too, staring back at Santana in confusion. "Well damn, excuse me." She teases.

Brittany blushes. "I'm a Red Sox fan." She shrugs.

"Right, okay, then maybe I can take you to a game this summer?" Santana says hopefully. "I could score us some great box seats."

Brittany smiles warmly at the Latina. "Maybe." She agrees easily. "But I actually prefer the seats near the field a bit more, I enjoy the experience of being at a baseball game."

"Oh yeah, me too, I just didn't know what you were into and all. Like because some people hate being in the sun for a long period of time and I guess I understand that too, but then your view of the game is better if your outside so..." Santana blushes at her rambling and ducks her head. "I'm not sure why I always embarrass the hell out of myself around you." She mumbles.

Brittany shakes her head, smiling widely the entire time. "You were telling me a joke?"

"Oh, right," Santana nods and focuses back on the task. "Okay so, a horse comes to Fenway Park and runs into Ted Williams. The horse says, "I can play better than you." Ted asks him if he can bat, and the horse bats the ball into the stands." Santana takes a chance to glance at Brittany, who is attempting not to smile. "Ted asks if he can play short-stop and the horse fields all the balls Ted bats to him. And then, Ted asks if he can pitch. The horse says, "Who's ever—?"

"Who's ever heard of a horse pitch." Brittany finishes for her.

Santana's face falls. "Oh..." She sighs and drops her shoulders. "So you've heard the joke?"

"Once or twice," Brittany smirks.

"And you let me get through the whole thing before telling me?" Santana pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. "You could've said something Emily, geez. Just let me embarrass myself, _again_ , no big deal."

"You're cute." Brittany smiles.

Santana's eyes instantly narrow and her face hardens. Brittany's own eyes widen when she realizes what she's said, and she opens her mouth to apologize. "I'm—"

"I am NOT cute!" Santana exclaims and throws her hands in the air. "Hot, yes. Sexy, yes. Cute? Hell no!"

Brittany bursts into a fit of giggles, causing Santana's frown to deepen. "Emily! It's not funny!" Santana whines.

"Okay, sorry." Brittany covers her mouth with the palm of her hand to muffle her laughter. "It's not funny."

Santana playfully glares at the blonde, before rolling her eyes. "Whatever." Santana pauses, smiling brightly when she realizes what had just happened. "I made you laugh! You have to go out with me again!" She claps excitedly and does a little dance that makes Brittany's heart swell.

"But it wasn't the joke that made me laugh, it was you being a super dork." Brittany teases.

"Same thing," Santana waves it off. "So, dinner at my place? Thursday night at 8?"

Brittany laughs and nods slowly. "Okay."

"Score!" Santana smiles brightly. "I'll text you my address, what's your number?"

Brittany stretches out her hand. "Give me your phone." She says while wiggling her fingers. Santana quickly unlocks her phone and hands it to Brittany, watching the blonde curiously as she types in phone number.

"Come here." Brittany smiles, gently tugging on the edge of Santana's coat. Santana shyly moves closer to Brittany, and blushes when the blonde stares at her with bright blue eyes. "Smile for the camera," Brittany whispers and holds Santana's phone out to get them both in the picture. Santana smiles widely and Brittany presses her lips to the Latina's cheek right before taking the photo.

"We're adorable." Santana laughs as she looks at the picture over Brittany's shoulder. "We look really good there." She adds with a soft smile.

"We do." Brittany agrees and saves the photo with her contact. "Send this to me, okay?"

"I most certainly will." Santana nods, just as the snow flurries began to fall from the sky. "Fuck..." She sighs.

"Come on, let me call a cab for you." Brittany says, walking alongside Santana back to the entrance of the park.

"What about you?" Santana frowns.

Brittany waves down the first cab she sees and smiles when he stops by the curb. "I'll get myself another one."

"Nonsense, we'll ride together." Santana opens the cab door and motions for Brittany to climb inside.

"Santana..."

"Emily, come on, don't argue with me on this. Riding in a cab together will be way easier than trying to hail another one in the snow, okay?" Santana smiles softly. "Plus I want to be sure you get home safe."

Brittany blushes and opens her mouth to respond, just as the cab driver honks his horn. "Hurry it up, will ya?"

"Fuck off." Santana snaps.

"Okay, come on." Brittany chuckles and nudges Santana inside the cab. Santana shrugs and slides inside, smiling when Brittany quickly climbs in after her and closes the door.

Brittany and Santana quickly give the cab driver their addresses, before leaning back against the seat. Brittany watches Santana attempt to flick snow off of her black coat, and laughs quietly as the woman scrunches up her nose in frustration.

"You're cute." Brittany sighs out and continues to stare at Santana with slight wonderment.

"Emily!" Santana whines and immediately pouts, crossing her arms over her chest. " _Not_ cute!"

* * *

Later on that night when Brittany's nearly asleep in bed with Della at her side, she hears her phone chime on the bedside table and reaches for it. She sees the text message is from Santana and quickly opens it, smiling as she reads.

 _ **Santana Lopez- I had a great time with you today and I can't wait to see you Thursday. Sleep well. xx**_

At the end of the message was the picture Brittany had taken of the two of them at Central Park. Her eyes were glowing in the photo, as were Santana's, and Brittany tears up slightly, realizing she hadn't looked that happy in years.

 ** _I had a great time with you too, and I'm excited for Thursday as well. Have a good night, Santana. xx_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm glad everyone is enjoying the cuteness of Brittana, you can never get enough fluff! But angst is also one of my favorites to write, so it's time to bring it on...**

 **This is a shorter chapter I know, but the next one will be longer to make up for it :) I would consider this a build up for chapter 5.**

 **Also check out my other** **Brittana fic _, Light in the Darkness_**

* * *

"I'm so excited, Lena, but also nervous as hell." Santana tells her cousin softly. She then leans down to place the homemade pizza they had been working on for the past half hour in the oven. "I didn't even think to ask her what foods she likes, or if she's allergic to anything, fuck!"

"You really like her, don't you?" Lena smiles. "I've never seen you this freaked out over a date with a chick before. Who are you and what have you done with Santana?" She teases.

Santana rolls her eyes and grabs her glass of wine, walking over to the separate dining area in her apartment. She sits on the suede chair directly under one of the big floor to ceiling windows and pats the space next to her. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, to be honest." Santana sighs. "She's just so fucking beautiful, L, and smart and funny. I've _never_ felt this way about anyone else before."

Lena raises a brow. "Not even..."

"Not even her, no." Santana shakes her head, not wanting to dwell on her past relationships. "Emily is different, in a good way, and I can't fuck this up." She whispers.

"And you _won't_." Lena assures her. "You need to stop doubting yourself and bring back the confident and snarky Santana Lopez I've been lucky enough to know and love our whole lives." She smiles and rests her hand on the Latina's bare thigh. "Trust me when I say everything will be fine as long as you relax."

"How can you be so sure?" Santana asks doubtfully.

Lena sighs. "San, believe it or not, this isn't the first girl you've brought home, and it's not the first relationship you've been in."

"Well, umm, technically we're not in a relationship yet." Santana frowns.

"Yet." Lena winks. "Now come on dork, get off your ass and help me roll out the dough for the garlic bread."

"I don't know, I just feel like there's something she's not telling me." Santana mumbles while grabbing the rolling pin from the drawer.

"It is still early in your relationship Santana... Hell, you really don't even have a relationship yet." Lena laughs as Santana glares at her. "Give the girl some time, she doesn't have to tell you everything at once alright? It's completely normal, you're still in the 'getting to know each other' phase." She explains.

"Damn, I feel like I'm back in high school again. Wait, no, actually high school Santana may be a little more badass than me right now." Santana chuckles.

"I think it's cute you're crushing so hard on this chick." Lena smiles. "She brings out the sap in you."

Santana scowls and sprinkles flour over her cousin's head, causing the younger girl to yelp and swat her hands away. "Shut up." Santana laughs. "I'm not a sap."

"For this mystery girl?" Lena smiles coyly. "You totally are."

Santana rolls her eyes. "Ugh, whatever. Just help me make the damn bread."

* * *

"Oh my gosh..." Brittany smiles softly when Santana walks through the front doors of _Johnson & Bronson's _on a slow Tuesday afternoon, carrying a Starbucks cup in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. Brittany takes a deep breath and wills herself to remain calm as Santana approaches the desk with a timid smile. The blonde smiles back to soothe Santana's own obvious nerves.

"Hey, umm, I just brought you a little snack. I hope that's okay?" Santana smiles nervously and hands over both items. "I wasn't sure what your drink order was from Starbucks, so I just got you a simple caramel latte. If you don't want it I understand, like I probably should've texted you instead of just assuming..."

"Santana," Brittany shushes the Latina with a soft laugh and shakes her head. "This is fine, and very sweet. Thank you."

Santana laughs. "You're welcome." She smiles and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"So, did you just stop by to charm me with Starbucks and pastries?" Brittany teases before taking a bite of her muffin. "Mhmmm."

Santana smiles and shakes her head. "I actually had to bring something by to Jonathan, but seeing you was a definite plus." She chuckles. "Have you seen him by any chance?"

"Jonathan?" Santana nods. "Yes, but he left a little over an hour ago to visit his family in New Jersey." Brittany states.

"God dammit." Santana groans and rubs her temples harshly. "I was hoping to catch him before he left."

"I'm sorry, if I had known you were coming I would have told him to wait." Brittany says apologetically.

"Not your fault." Santana sighs and leans forward against the mahogany desk. She taps her red manicured nails against the surface and hums softly.

"You still sing?" Brittany asks with a small smile, thinking back to hers and Santana's conversation at lunch last week.

"I do sometimes." Santana admits shyly. "But I haven't in awhile."

"Why is that?" Brittany frowns.

"Life." Santana shrugs. "I'm always busy and I'm always doing too much...It's just not one of my main priorities anymore."

"Santana..." Brittany sighs.

"Don't worry about it, really, it's ok." Santana forces a smile and drops her hand from the desk quickly. Her hand bumps the sharp corner of the wood by accident, and slices the tip of her finger. "Shit."

Brittany's eyes widen at the deep cut on Santana's index finger and she quickly grabs her sweatshirt from under the desk. "Hold still." She tells Santana while moving closer to the Latina and gently taking her hand.

"Ow," Santana hisses, squeezing her eyes shut. "Fucking hell, that hurts." She grunts.

"You cut it pretty bad." Brittany murmurs and continues to apply pressure to the wound. "Come to the back with me, okay? I don't think it's serious enough that it requires professional medical attention, but I want to make sure it doesn't get infected."

"Ok." Santana nods. She blushes when Brittany kisses her temple and places her hand on the small of her back, leading her to the break room across the store.

"Just take a seat right there." Brittany motions to one of the chairs in the room as she rummages through the cabinets for the first aid kit. "And keep applying pressure, that way the bleeding will stop soon."

"What, are you a secret doctor too?" Santana teases.

Brittany laughs. "Maybe." She winks while carefully tearing open to package for the band aid.

"What else don't I know about you?" Santana smiles and leans back in her seat. "Enlighten me, please."

Brittany sighs and coaxes the sweatshirt away from Santana's hand. She carefully applies the cream onto the cut and blows softly, before wrapping the band aid securely around her finger. "Secrets are what keep relationships interesting." She says quietly.

Santana frowns. "I feel like I don't anything about you, though."

"We haven't even been on our first date yet, calm down." Brittany teases and gently runs her thumb over Santana's knuckles. She quickly catches herself and removes her hand, letting it hang awkwardly at her side.

"So you admit Thursday is our first date?" Santana grins.

"What do you think?" Brittany laughs and pulls her hair out of the braid it had been in. "We'll see how it goes, how about that?" She says and runs her fingers through her hair.

Santana rolls her eyes playfully. "Whoa, no pressure there, Em."

"I'm teasing." Brittany offers Santana her right hand and helps her stand. "Take the bandage off tonight before you go to bed so the cut can air out, you don't want it to get infected." She tells Santana while walking her to the door. "Call me if you see something weird or think something may be wrong, okay?"

"Ok." Santana nods. "Thanks, Emily." She smiles.

Brittany wraps her arms loosely around Santana's torso and rests her hands on the small of Santana's back. She smiles against dark hair when Santana hugs her back tightly. "No problem. Get home safely ok? I know it's early afternoon, but Manhattan can be dangerous during the daytime too."

"I will." Santana nods against her shoulder. "I'll text you when I get home, 'Kay?"

"That would be great." Brittany admits after breaking the embrace.

Santana smiles. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow." She says sweetly, before leaning forward to kiss Brittany's cheek. "Have a good day, Em."

"You too, Santana." Brittany responds, and watches with a smile as Santana gives her a cute little wave, before leaving the room.

* * *

At exactly seven o'clock on Thursday evening, Brittany smoothes down her red fitted top as she checks her appearance in the full length mirror for the thousandth time in the past hour. Della watches from her place on Brittany's bed, with her head resting against her paws and her tongue poking out slightly.

Brittany turns away from the mirror to face Della and breathes out a shaky sigh. "How do I look?" She exhales slowly and rests her hands at her sides. "Is it too much?"

Della barks once and Brittany smiles.

"Perfect, okay, good." Brittany nods and faces the mirror once more, smoothing back the loose blonde curls framing her face. "I'm honestly trying not to like her, Del, I swear I am. But I've never felt this out of control with my life before, and we both know that's saying a lot."

Della watches quietly as Brittany begins to pace back and forth in the room. "Because... there was that one other person before Santana, you know? I've told you this story before." Brittany laughs airily and runs her fingers through her hair. "I just, I can't do that to her. I can't lead her on when I know that this relationship can't go anywhere. It would be a terrible thing for me to do."

Della barks twice, and Brittany rolls her eyes. "Don't give me that, you know I would only be hurting Santana in the end. She's too good of a person to deal with someone like me." Brittany murmurs.

The phone line rings and Brittany jumps from the noise. She smiles shyly at Della, who's head perks up, before answering the phone. "Hello?" Brittany smiles and twirls the cord around her ring finger.

" _Hello, I am calling for Ms. Emily Jones?_ "

Brittany frowns and stops her movements, and leans against the wall. "This is she." She replies slowly.

" _Ms. Jones, I am calling on behalf of your friend, Laura Smith. We need you to come down to Bellevue Hospital Center as soon as possible."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: To answer a question I have received multiple times— Laura has no idea that Brittany isn't able to age, and she knows her by the name of Karen because they met awhile back, before Brittany changed her name to Emily. Brittany has been able to stay friends with Laura because she is blind, and Laura has just assumed that Brittany looks as old as she does.**

 **If anyone has any more questions, feel free to ask!**

* * *

Brittany rushes through the front doors of the hospital, still adorning her stilettos and full makeup, but with widened eyes and hollow breathing. It doesn't take her long to find the front desk that is located securely in the middle of the lobby.

"Hi, I'm looking for Laura Smith please." Brittany says quickly. "Umm, I got a call about twenty minutes ago and I came as soon as I could."

"Emily Jones?" The woman asks while checking the computer file.

"Yes." Brittany nods.

"Do you have some form of identification I could check ma'am?" The woman questions and slides on her black framed glasses. "I hope you understand, but New York is full of too many crazies for me to just rely on your word."

"Of course, of course." Brittany reaches for her purse, and freezes when she realizes she must have left it at home. She bites down harshly on her bottom lip and squeezes her eyes shut, before releasing a long exhale. "I left my wallet at home." She sighs.

The woman frowns. "Well I truly am sorry miss, but I can't—"

"Please," Brittany pleads. "I don't think any of her other friends are in town, or alive even, and she's sitting in that hospital room all alone. Do you think that's fair? For an elderly woman to be by herself when she's sick?"

"Of course not." The woman sighs and shakes her head. "But due to safety reasons, I simply cannot allow you the information. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Brittany laughs bitterly and nods. "I'm sure you are. What do you want? Money? I can give you money, all I want to do is visit my friend and make sure she's okay, but you won't even allow me to do that." Brittany snaps.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave before I call security." The woman says calmly.

"Are you serious right now?" Brittany scowls. "Do you have nothing better to do than—"

"Emily?"

Brittany turns around and is surprised to see Jonathan walking towards her. "Jonathan? What are you doing here?" She frowns. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, just visiting a friend." Jonathan nods and waves to the receptionist. "Hello Sarah."

"Hi Jonathan." The woman smiles.

"So, what's going on Emily? You look frustrated?" Jonathan states as he gives the blonde a once over. "Anything I can help with?"

Brittany shakes her head. "I received a call about one of my dearest friends, and there seems to be something wrong." She sighs. "But I forgot my wallet at home, with my ID, so there's no way of verifying that I'm Emily Jones." Brittany explains tiredly.

Jonathan frowns and glances back at the receptionist, who is checking her phone. "Sarah? My friend Emily says you won't give her the room number where her friend is being held."

"She has no form of identification, Jonathan, what do you want me to do?"

"My word isn't good enough?" Jonathan asks with a raised brow. "Consider it a returned favor for last summer, I do remember how much you said you appreciated it." He smirks.

The woman blushes and clears her throat. "Room 241, Ms. Jones." She tells Brittany quietly. "I will let her nurse know that you've arrived."

"Thank you." Brittany breathes out. She then wraps her arms tightly around Jonathan and repeats the words, before breaking the embrace and running towards the nearest elevator.

* * *

The machines beep repeatedly in the dimly lit hospital room. The television goes unwatched, but the faint sound of voices are blurred in the background. Brittany glances down at her phone for the second time since she's arrived and sees another text from Santana. She sighs and turns off the device.

"Ms. Jones?" Dr. Andrews says quietly after poking his head into the room. "Can I speak with you in the hallway? Privately?"

"Of course." Brittany nods quickly. She tosses her phone on the small table in the corner and kisses Laura's cheek, before following the man outside. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure if you are aware of Ms. Smith's heart issues in the past, but she has been doing too much over these last few weeks. Her heart wasn't able to handle the unusual activeness and pressure, therefore causing a heart attack." Dr. Andrews explains slowly. Brittany nods dumbly, allowing him to continue. "We are going to hold her here overnight to run tests, because she isn't stable right now."

"What do you mean she isn't stable?" Brittany asks quickly.

Dr. Andrews sighs and tucks his clipboard underneath his arm. "She's unresponsive. We have her hooked up to an oxygen machine right now, wanting to keep her airways open for as long as possible. I've seen this many times, and there is no telling how it will end."

"Oh." Brittany whispers and averts her eyes upwards to avoid the tears threatening to fall.

"I would recommend going home and getting some sleep, Ms. Jones. There is no sign of Ms. Smith waking up anytime soon. I will be sure to call you as soon as she wakes." Dr. Andrews assures her calmly. "If she does wake up, she will need you at your best. Staying here all night and becoming sleep deprived won't benefit either of you, trust me on this."

Brittany nods slowly. "Okay." She says quietly, staring at the white door to Room 241 blankly. "Can I say goodbye first?"

Dr. Andrews removes his hand from Brittany's shoulder and smiles. "Of course. Take your time."

"Thank you." Brittany nods and watches as Dr. Andrews walks away to chat with a few other doctors and nurses. She wipes her sweaty palms against the material of her dress, before turning on her heels and walking back to Laura's hospital room. "Hey, if you wanted to see me more you could've just called." Brittany teases to avoid breaking down.

"I told you smoking those cigars were nothing but bad for your health." Brittany whispers while playing with the hem of her dress. "I just wanted you to listen to me, for once, but you've never done that so I wasn't sure what I was expecting." She laughs and shakes her head. She quickly lifts her hand to catch the fallen tear directly under her eye, and brushes it away. "Sorry." Brittany chokes out.

"The doctor told me that I should head home, or else I'll be up all night. But I'll be back soon, okay? I promise." Brittany smiles weakly as another tear rolls down her cheek. She doesn't bother to wipe it away. "I'll be sure to bring you pasta from Provino's when you do."

Brittany stares down at Laura's motionless body for several more moments an checks the heart monitor on her left to make sure her breathing is still steady, before blowing a final kiss and leaving the room.

* * *

 **Three days later**

Brittany tiredly walks through the front door of her apartment, completely drained. She has been spending her days at the hospital with Laura, and if not with Laura, then at the bookstore. She's rarely been home, and hasn't spoken to Santana since . Della slowly approaches the blonde, not running carelessly like she usually would in the sense that something is wrong.

Brittany smiles sadly and tosses her keys on the table, before crouching to the floor. "It's okay, Del. Momma's okay." Brittany assures her and reaches for her. "Come here."

Della walks slowly to Brittany, almost timid, but relaxes as soon as the blonde pulls her close to her chest. "I know I haven't been around much, and I'm sorry for that." Brittany sighs and strokes the dark fur beneath her fingertips. "Just with Laura, and Santana, and _me_ , I don't know what to do. I usually have myself figured out, and now that I don't, it just throws me off completely."

Della barks softly and Brittany smiles. "A kick in the ass indeed. But I can't let that bring down my mood, can I?" Brittany scratches behind Della's ear tenderly, earning a content hum from the puppy. "Didn't think so. Why don't I stop by the Chinese place down the street and pick up some orange chicken and fried rice? Then we can have a Netflix night in bed."

Della barks happily, causing Brittany to laugh and stand up. "Got it. I'll be back soon. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Brittany winks and grabs her purse, before leaving her apartment for the third time that day.

Brittany smiles at the familiar faces she passes and even waves to a few bystanders who looked like they could use a friendly smile. She briefly chats with the older man who runs the bakery down the street, before walking into Chang's restaurant and ordering two cartons of chicken and friend rice. She hands over a twenty dollar bill and smiles when she tells the young man to keep the change.

Brittany juggles the cartons in her arms, "Oh crap, I'm so—"

"Emily?" Santana's eyes widen and she takes a step back. "What are you doing here?" She asks softly.

"Umm, I was just getting Chinese for my dog and I." Brittany winces and shakes her head as Santana laughs. "It sounds pathetic, I know, but it's really what I'm doing."

"Okay." Santana nods.

Brittany stares at the Latina for a few moments before sighing heavily. "Santana..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Emily. Because technically there is nothing I have over you, because we aren't dating and I'm not even sure if we're friends." Santana furrows her brows together and frowns. "But if you never wanted a relationship with me, then I would have appreciated it if you would have told me instead of stringing me along."

"That's not what I was doing." Brittany says quickly. "Santana, I swear, I really like you. I do, but there's just so much shit going on in my life right now, I—"

"That makes fuckin two of us." Santana snaps. "Yet I still managed to make time to chase after you like a damn dog, and it still wasn't good enough." She laughs angrily and shakes her head. "I'm so fuckin embarrassed."

"Santana, please let me explain." Brittany pleads and grabs the woman's wrist. Santana attempts to jerk away, but Brittany's grip remains firm. "Please."

Santana's glare never wavers but she nods, causing Brittany to let go. "Let's go outside." She suggests in a much softer tone.

"Okay." Brittany smiles and lets out a sigh of relief, following the Latina out the front doors and down the street to a small park hidden behind the sea of buildings.

Santana takes a seat on one of the two swings attached to the swing set and glances over her shoulder at Brittany expectantly. "Are you coming?"

"Umm, yeah." Brittany carefully places the three Chinese cartons on the ground and sets her purse near them, before occupying the empty swing next to Santana. "Have you been here before?"

"A few times." Santana nods. "I usually come here when I need to think, or calm down. It's peaceful because I don't think many people know about it."

"Thank you for bringing me here." Brittany says quietly after several moments. "I know I haven't been very fair to you."

"No you haven't." Santana agrees. "What's been going on? Why didn't you show up on Thursday, and why didn't you text me to let me know why?" She asks softly. "I-I didn't know if you were hurt, or if something was wrong. You ignored me for a week, Emily."

"I'm so sorry, Santana. Let me make it up to you." Brittany slows her swaying and takes Santana's hand in her own, gently running her thumb over her knuckles. "Can I make you dinner?"

Santana sighs, but doesn't object. "When?"

"Whenever you're free." Brittany says quickly. "Umm, you can come over to my place and I'll make you whatever you want."

"How do I know you can cook whatever I want?" Santana teases. "What if I want a three cheese enchilada?"

"Then I would tell you I studied in Mexico for a year and a half, which I have, so I do in fact have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to Mexican food." Brittany smiles.

Santana's eyes widen and she returns the smile. "Shit, seriously? Where?"

"Cancun. It was more of a vacation trip than a working trip though, if I'm being honest." Brittany laughs and focuses on their intertwined hands. She admires the way their skin tones contrast against each other, and blushes when she notices Santana staring at her with a small smile. "What?"

Santana shakes her head and drops her gaze. "Are you going to tell me what's been going on with you?"

"Oh, right, of course." Brittany releases Santana's hand and grips onto the chains of her swing. She lets out a long exhale before turning her body to look directly into the Latina's dark eyes. "Santana..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Everyone go check out CKris's story Love, Lust and Lies— read and review! It seems good so far :)**

 **Thanks for all your reviews on the previous chapter! There's lots of fluff in this one.**

* * *

"A friend of mine, a really good friend of mine, she's, umm, she's in the hospital." Brittany says quietly, purposefully avoiding Santana's warm eyes on her and focuses on her shoes instead. "She's been having heart problems for awhile, and she's older, so the risks are higher," Brittany sniffles. "She's unresponsive right now."

"Emily..." Santana sighs, the sadness evident in her tone. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I just wish you would've told me this, instead of shutting me out. I've been worried about you," She rests her hand on Brittany's covered thigh and gives a gentle squeeze.

"I know." Brittany nods and wipes her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. "But I don't know you that well, and I didn't want to scare you away with my personal problems." She jokes lightly.

Santana laughs and shakes her head. "Come on, you could never scare me away. I like you wayyy too much." She winks, causing Brittany to blush. "Do you, umm, would you like to come over? I can make you something more appetizing than a box of noodles." Santana smiles.

Brittany laughs softly, but shakes her head. "I haven't been spending much time with my dog, and I promised her I would tonight." She says, not minding how ridiculous it sounds. "And I'm supposed to be making you dinner, remember? How about tomorrow night?" She quickly suggests, noticing the disappointment on Santana's face.

"Tomorrow is perfect." Santana smiles. "What time?"

Brittany shrugs. "Seven?"

"Awesome." Santana pulls herself to her feet, before offering her hand to Brittany, and smiles when she takes it. "Will you text me your address? Or else I may be wondering around New York like a confused puppy."

"I'll send it to you tonight." Brittany nods and leans forward to place an innocent kiss on Santana's cheek. She laughs when the Latina blushes deeply. "I need to get going, but call me later and tell me what you want to eat. Anything, remember?"

"Anything." Santana repeats with a grin. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Have a good day, Santana." Brittany smiles while grabbing her purse and Chinese takeout off of the ground.

"You too, Emily." Santana winks, causing the blonde to blush. "And hey, if you need anyone to talk to, don't be afraid to give me a call." She says softly. "I'm here if you need me."

"I know, and I appreciate that." Brittany says and moves forward to hug Santana quickly. "Thank you so much."

Santana blushes and gives Brittany a gentle squeeze. "No problem, Em."

* * *

"Ok, ok, everything's gonna be fine." Brittany mumbles to herself as she quickly moves around the kitchen. "Spatula... Where's my spatula?" She exclaims, frantically searching for the plastic utensil.

Della cocks her head to the side as Brittany runs around, and barks quietly when the blonde stumbles over her own feet.

"I'm fine." Brittany smiles at the puppy, before going back to her task. "Where is— oh! Thank god." Brittany grabs the spatula off of the kitchen island and turns back to the pan on the stove. "I'm so glad I learned to make burgers during my time in California." She sighs after flipping the patty.

Della runs over to Brittany and rubs her head against the blonde's leg. Brittany looks down and smiles, before shaking her head. "No, these aren't for you babe. They're for Santana."

Della barks excitedly and Brittany nods. "I know, I'm excited too. But nervous, because, you know, I haven't done this," She motions around, "In a _very_ long time. Not since..."

 _June 14th, 1953_

 _Brittany sat in the backseat of a taxi cab as she rode through the country side of a small town in South Carolina. She glanced down at her bright yellow sundress and smiled, glad she chose such a bright outfit for the day. The man she had been seeing for the past seven months had asked her to meet him at the small park on the opposite side of town. Brittany wasn't sure why, but she was nervous._

 _As they pulled up, Brittany instantly found the man she was looking for. He was sitting on a small bench in front of the duck pond, twirling something in his hands. Brittany squinted to get a better look— and her heart stopped when she realized what it was._

 _"Ma'am?" The driver glanced through the rearview mirror with a small frown. "Are you getting out?"_

 _Brittany tore her eyes away from the man and quickly wiped away the tear that had fallen down her cheek, before shaking her head. "Umm, could you take me back to town please."_

 _The driver looked at her curiously. "Are you sure, ma'am?"_

 _"Yes, I'm sure." Brittany nodded. "S-sorry, I'll pay extra for the commute." She quickly added._

 _"Don't worry about it." The driver shook his head and smiled. "You look like you could use some cheering up, so consider it on the house." He said as he began driving again._

 _Brittany sniffled, but managed to offer him a watery smile. "Thank you."_

Brittany sighs at the memory and ducks her head in shame, before the smell of something burning grabs her attention.

"Shit!" Brittany yells and turns off the oven. She grabs a pot holder and bends down, quickly pulling the pan of burnt hamburger buns out and setting them on the counter. "Fantastic." She rolls her eyes.

Della barks and looks to her left, where the remaining hamburger buns remain. "I know I have more, but I hate how distracted I got." Brittany says with slight annoyance as she throws the burnt buns in the trash. "Santana will be here soon and I still need to change."

After gathering the toppings for the burgers and organizing them on top of the kitchen island, Brittany jogs to her bedroom and quickly throws on the outfit she had picked out for the night. She slips on her black heels and applies a light layer of makeup, before running back to the kitchen to take the buns out of the oven. Brittany had finished placing Santana's burger on her bun when she heard someone knocking on the door. She took a deep breath, checking her appearance in the mirror in the foyer a final time, before opening the front door.

Santana was wearing a tight, long sleeved black top with dark skinny jeans and red Louboutin heels. Her hair was in dark curls that framed her face perfectly, and she had on dark red lipstick to complete the look.

Santana smirks at Brittany's lack of speech and she takes a step forward. "Hey Emily." She smiles, bringing Brittany out of her Santana-daze.

"Santana." Brittany's eyes widen at the sight of the Latina, and she has to blink a few times before taking a step back. "Umm, c-come in."

Santana chuckles at Brittany's flusteredness and walks into the apartment, hanging her coat on the coat rack by the door. "You have a lovely home, Emily." She says sweetly as Brittany continues to stare.

"Oh, thank you." Brittany blushes and Santana laughs again, shaking her head with amusement. "Dinner's almost ready, you can make yourself comfortable in the living room."

Santana nods. "Ok cool." She smiles. Brittany leads her to the living room and hands her the remote to the TV, dropping it a few times in the process, before shuffling back to the kitchen.

Brittany blinks a few times and shakes her head, before slouching against the island. Her mind instantly drifts to how amazing Santana looks tonight, before she catches herself and shakes her head again. "Get it together, Pierce."

* * *

After mindless conversation and laughter at dinner, Santana sets her wine glass on the coffee table and curls up closer to Brittany, who happily accepts the company. Brittany wraps her arm around Santana's shoulders and pulls her closer, smiling when the woman rests her head on her chest.

"Who knew you were such a cuddle monster." Brittany teases, her fingers making soothing circles against Santana's back.

"Ha ha," Santana rolls her eyes. "Ok yeah, I do love cuddling." She admits, tucking her head under Brittany's chin.

"I can tell." Brittany smiles and kisses Santana's temple. "Was the food good?" She then asks hesitantly, even though they both had cleaned their plates within twenty minutes.

"Um, the food was fucking amazing." Santana laughs. "You're going to have to cook for me again soon, I don't think I've ever had a burger that delicious. I can still taste it a little." She adds, a small grin appearing on her face as she closes her eyes and hums dreamily.

Brittany laughs heartily. "Dork." She smiles. "I'll cook for you anytime." Brittany says softly and tucks a strand of hair behind Santana's ear.

"Me too." Santana smiles, before frowning. "I mean, like, I'll cook for you too whenever you want." She explains with a faint blush covering her cheeks.

Brittany laughs. "Okay."

"I had a really good time tonight." Santana says and lifts her head to look into Brittany's eyes. "Thank you for having me over."

"Of course, so did I." Brittany nods. "I'm sorry again for missing our date Thursday, everything was just such a mess and I—"

"Hey, shh, that's not your fault." Santana places a soft kiss against Brittany's jaw before hugging her tightly. "I sincerely hope your friend will be ok, and if you ever want someone to go to the hospital with, I'll be sure to come."

Brittany's heart swells at Santana's words and she smiles. "Really?"

Santana nods. "Really."

Brittany stares down into Santana's dark and tender eyes, feeling herself shudder from their intense gaze. Santana's eyes flicker down to Brittany's lips— and they're so close that Brittany can feel Santana's soft puffs of air against her own.

"I really wanna kiss you right now." Santana murmurs, her eyes focused on the bright pink lips in front of her.

Brittany licks her lips, a move that doesn't go unnoticed by Santana, and meets the Latina's eyes. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Santana's eyes widen for a brief second, before a shy smile appears on her face and she wiggles closer. Santana nudges her nose affectionately against Brittany's, before moving the last millimeter closer.

And then Santana's lips meet hers, and Brittany feels infinite.


	7. Chapter 7

**New Brittana story—** ** _Hidden Behind the Fame_** **. Check it out**

* * *

Brittany awakens the next morning in a slight haze of panic, until she finds Santana sleeping soundly next to her and slowly relaxes. She faintly remembers last night— after Santana had kissed her, they exchanged several more sweet and innocent kisses, before Santana cuddled against her chest as they finished off the bottle of red wine. They went to bed sometime in the early hours of the morning, after Santana's silent request for her to stay, and they had fallen asleep together— limbs intertwined.

Santana begins to stir and Brittany smiles at the adorable faces the Latina makes as she slowly wakes. She blinks several times before her eyes meet Brittany's tender blue ones, and Santana smiles. "Good morning." She mumbles tiredly.

"Good morning," Brittany leans down and presses a kiss to the small space between Santana's furrowed brows. "How did you sleep?"

"Awesome, especially with you here." Santana replies shyly, causing Brittany to blush. "No but seriously, I slept really good. It could've been the wine, or the make out session in the living room, but I was exhausted." She huffs cutely, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Brittany gently grabs Santana's wrists and shakes her head, before kissing each eyelid softly. "Don't rub them, you'll irritate your eyes." Brittany tells her with a soft smile.

"Thanks." Santana blushes. "Are you hungry? I can cook eggs, or sausage, or make us an omelet...?"

Brittany smiles and nods. "That'd be great." She says happily and kisses Santana gently on the lips.

"Oh, okay, awesome." Santana says giddily and follows Brittany out of bed. "Umm, how do you take your coffee? I have creamer too, if you want that."

"I can fix it myself, Santana." Brittany laughs while accepting the bright red mug from Santana. "Thank you for being so attentive, though." She teases.

"Anything for you, Em." Santana smirks and proceeds to make her own coffee. She places the K-cup in the Keurig, before leaning back against the counter and turning to face Brittany. "So, what were your plans for the day?"

"I actually need to get going soon." Brittany sighs, her guilt growing when Santana frowns. "I promised Jonathan that I'd work a double shift at the store today, and I can't call in. I'm really sorry, Santana."

Santana shrugs and grabs the sugar and milk, passing them both to the blonde. "It's fine, I know you have a life too. Maybe I'll stop by and visit you later though, if you want."

Brittany smiles. "I'd really like that."

* * *

Brittany places the final empty box in the corner next to the bookshelf and sighs. It's almost ten o'clock at night, and after sorting through boxes for the better part of five hours, she's ready to go home and get some sleep. Luckily she had received a phone call earlier from the hospital, who told her Laura was stable and could be discharged soon. She spent her lunch break at the hospital with the older woman, before Laura left with her daughter, and was currently being taken care of at home.

Brittany sweeps her hair to the side and glances down at her phone when she hears it ding.

 _ **Santana Lopez: At the door, let me in**_

Brittany smiles widely, quickly pulling herself to her feet and jogging to the front of the store. There, she finds Santana standing with a large brown paper bag in one hand and two wine glasses in the other.

Brittany unlocks the door quickly and pulls Santana inside. "What are you doing here?" She asks happily, watching as the Latina sets the bag and glasses down on the front desk.

"I told you I'd stop by." Santana replies with a smile. "I would've come earlier, but my meeting ran longer than I had expected it to."

"It's fine, you're here now." Brittany grabs Santana's left and leans down to kiss her gently. "And, you brought...?"

"Wine and Italian." Santana winks. "I figured you'd be hungry after being here _all damn day_. How are you not bored as hell?"

"I love books, and I love reading. So it isn't that difficult." Brittany shrugs. Santana nods, considering the answer. "I am hungry though, so thank you for bringing me food. It was really sweet of you."

Santana blushes but waves off the compliment. She scoops the pasta noodles evenly onto both of the plates she brought, before setting them on the small rug on the floor. "Care to going me?" Santana smiles charmingly, and Brittany can do nothing more than to kiss the woman sweetly before joining her on the floor.

* * *

After finishing the most delicious chicken Alfredo Brittany had ever tasted, she playfully rubs her stomach as Santana tosses their plates in the trash. She lets out a content sigh as Santana pours them both a glass of wine, before walking back to the little area they created beside one of the big windows.

Brittany sits with her back against the wall and opens her legs into a V shape, patting the space in between for Santana, who smiles and quickly obliges. Santana carefully holds onto the glasses of wine as she leans back against Brittany's chest, before passing the blonde hers.

"What do you love most about reading?" Santana asks after several moments of silence. She toys with the bracelet around Brittany's wrist and curls further into her arms.

"Hmmm, everything." Brittany sighs, staring at the ceiling. "It's like an escape for me, almost. Sometimes I get so invested into a book, it will feel so real and I can't put it down. I've read 500 page books in a night before without noticing the time, because reading is a hobby that soothes me."

Santana stares at Brittany with wonderment before a small smile appears on her face. "You're amazing." Santana breathes. She gently cups the blonde's face in her hands and winks, before leaning down to kiss her deeply.

"What was that for?" Brittany laughs breathlessly when air becomes a necessity, and gives Santana's waist a light squeeze.

Santana nudges Brittany's nose with her own and kisses her again. "For being you."

Brittany's stomach twists at those three words, and her guilt begins to rise. It's then, she realizes, that she's still basically stranger to Santana. And her eyes begin to fill with unshed tears when she realizes it will _always_ have to remain that way.

* * *

Brittany yawns and stretches her body, her eyes snapping open when her arm collides with something hard. She glances down at Santana, who is sleeping soundly against her chest, and looks to the window— where bright rays of sunshine are shining inside. She glances at her watch and winces when she sees its almost seven-thirty. The bookstore opens in a little over an hour, and she still has to go home and shower.

"Santana," Brittany says softly, gently nudging the woman. "Wake up, sweetheart. We must've fallen asleep." She rubs Santana's back to rouse her from her slumber, and giggles when the Latina lifts her head and blinks slowly.

"What," Santana frowns and takes in her surroundings. Her mouth forms a small o a few moments later, and she smiles shyly at their position. "Sorry for falling asleep on you." She rasps. "I don't even remember falling asleep, to be honest."

Brittany laughs and presses a soft kiss against Santana's forehead. "I don't either, but this place opens soon and I really need to get home a shower."

"What time is it?" Santana asks, before letting out an adorable yawn. Brittany chuckles and doesn't resist kissing her again.

"Almost seven-forty."

"Damn, I need to get home too." Santana frowns and climbs off of Brittany's lap. "I'm meeting up with one of my friends for lunch at nine, and I need to freshen up before going." She says while grabbing the wine glasses and carefully placing them in her purse.

Brittany nods and pulls the store keys out of her back pocket. "Let me walk you out."

Santana smiles and accepts Brittany's hand, intertwining their fingers as she leads her to the front of the store. She laughs at the faint lipstick marks across the blonde's chin and tilts her neck upwards to press their lips together. "Thank you for another amazing night, Emily." Santana says while hugging Brittany tightly.

"I should be thanking you." Brittany kisses the woman's cheek. "This is my second morning waking up to you and I've never felt better."

Brittany immediately blushes when she realizes what she said and quickly clears her throat. "Umm, I uh,"

"I feel the same." Santana chuckles softly, and Brittany finds herself swoon at the sound. She knows she'll never get tired of hearing Santana's raspy laughter. "I've never felt this way about someone, the way I feel about you. It's indescribable, but it's an amazing feeling really." Santana shrugs. "You make my heart _and_ stomach flutter at the same time. No one has ever done that to me before."

"I know what you mean." Brittany murmurs, lowering her head to avoid Santana's warm eyes. She can't push away the sickening feeling knowing she isn't being completely honest with the Latina. "Umm, you should probably go before it gets too late. I don't want you to miss brunch with your friend." Brittany says quietly.

Santana looks at her oddly. "Uh, ok."

"Text me when you get home, so I know you're safe." Brittany adds as Santana walks out the door.

"Yeah, okay." Santana smiles, but not as bright as she usually does. Her dimples aren't showing, and she has a strange look in her eyes. "You get home safely too."

And then she's gone.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, what have you been up to? Please, fill me in on the exciting life of Santana Lopez." Quinn smiles and takes a sip of her coffee, waiting patiently for the Latina to gather her thoughts.

Santana takes a deep breath, twirling her straw around her cup of ice water, before meeting her friend's hazel eyes. "I met someone," Santana says slowly. "And... don't freak out, but I think it might be getting serious."

"What?" Quinn nearly yells, a huge smile covering her face. "Who? Where? When? Can I meet her?" She asks quickly, and Santana laughs loudly.

"Damn Q, what part of 'don't freak out' did you not understand?" Santana chuckles. "Her name is Emily, I met her at a New Year's Eve party, and have been hanging out with her off and on since then." She explains, and smiles faintly at the butterflies she feels in her stomach at the thought of the blonde. "She's intelligent, beautiful and so sweet, Quinn. I've never met anyone like her."

"You seem pretty head over heels for her." Quinn states, a soft smile on her lips. "Are you in _love_?" She asks carefully.

"No, no, no," Santana shakes her head quickly. "Not yet, at least." She blushes.

Quinn nods in understanding. "Do you think she could be the one?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Santana shrugs, furrowing her brows in thought. She thanks their waiter when he brings by their salads and pops a crouton in her mouth. "It's not like I'm getting any younger, I'm almost thirty and still single with no kids. I don't have that much time left," She frowns. "A small part of me wishes that I wouldn't have let work consume me in my early twenties, and that I would have gone out more, enjoying my college years. Maybe my life could've been different."

"Okay, yeah, but then you wouldn't be with this Emily girl now, would you?" Quinn reaches across the table and pats Santana's hand sympathetically. "Everything happens for a reason babe, you just have to trust that it'll work out for the best."

Santana smiles. "Thanks Q."

"Anytime, now stop bitching and eat your salad before I do it for you." Quinn winks, stabbing a piece of lettuce with her fork. "I haven't eaten anything since last night around seven and I'm starving."

* * *

Brittany knocks lightly on the dark mahogany door in front of her. She rocks on her heels nervously as she waits on the doorstep.

A young woman, either in her late twenties or early thirties appears a moment later with a small frown. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I um, I'm here to visit Laura. I'm Karen, her friend. The one from the hospital." Brittany explains. She faintly recognizes the woman as Laura's eldest daughter, Aubrey, and hopes she remembers her.

"Oh, yeah, I remember you." Aubrey stares at Brittany skeptically. "You're way younger than most of the people my mother spends time with. Why is that?"

Brittany shifts from her left foot to her right and frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you spending so much time with my mother?" Aubrey asks harshly. Brittany stares at her in shock. "Is there something you want from her? She isn't rich, if that's what you're concerned about. She's not going to pay you for anything." She snaps.

"Excuse me?" Brittany asks, clearly upset. She sets the bouquet of flowers and box of cupcakes on the bottom step and moves up the steps. "I've known Laura for many years, and I have only seen you around her a handful of times." Brittany says angrily. "I spend time with her because she is my _friend_ and I enjoy her company, not because she is paying me. How could you think that?"

Aubrey shrugs, not bothered at all by Brittany's outburst. "I don't know you. I just wanted to be sure." Brittany waits for an apology, and rolls her eyes when she never receives one.

"Can I please see your mother now? I've been worried about her, and I would really like to talk with her." Brittany says, grabbing the flowers and cupcakes again. "Is she awake?"

Aubrey stares at Brittany for a moment, before nodding and motioning towards the door. "I should warn you though, she's been kind of forgetful lately."

Brittany frowns. "Forgetful? Like Alzheimer's?"

"Yes." Aubrey replies shortly.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Brittany replies softly. "Has she been taking medication for it? I haven't noticed."

"Yes, obviously." Aubrey rolls her eyes, causing Brittany's frown to deepen. "Please hurry, it's almost time for her to take her pills and they make her a little drowsy."

"Okay, thanks." Brittany replies and hurriedly moves through the apartment. She slowly walks into Laura's bedroom and smiles a little at the sight of the woman, who she hadn't seen in almost a week.

"Who's there?" Laura asks slowly, her voice raspy from sleep. "Kimberly?"

"No, no. It's me, Karen." Brittany says softly, placing the flowers and cupcakes on the bedside table before sitting in a chair. "How have you been, honey?"

"Karen?" Laura frowns, before smiling. "Oh, hello dear! I've been doing better, still feeling a little rough though. How about you?"

"I've been doing good." Brittany smiles. "I'm glad you're feeling better, I've been worried about you."

"Oh, there's nothing to worry for. I will be perfectly fine in no time." Laura replies. She stays silent for a moment, before turning her head towards Brittany again. "Who's there?"

Brittany looks around the room slowly, to see if Aubrey might have walked in, and frowns when she realizes it's just the two of them. "It's just me, Laura."

"Who are you?" Laura asks quickly, her brows furrowing. "Why are you in my house?"

"It's _me_ , Karen. We're really good friends." Brittany says slowly. "Remember, I took you ice skating for the first time three years ago at Rockefeller center? I fell more than you." She laughs softly and blinks back tears.

"Oh yes, of course I remember!" Laura exclaims with a big smile. Brittany smiles back, until the elder woman says, "How are you, dear?"

Brittany stares at her friend as tears fall down her face. She opens her mouth to respond, just as Aubrey appears, leaning against the doorway. "Maybe you should go now." The brunette says softly. "She needs to take her medication."

"Who's there?" Laura asks.

"Aubrey, momma. I'll be back in a second to bring you your medication okay?" Aubrey replies loudly.

"Okay, dear." Laura nods.

Brittany grabs her purse and stands, smoothing out her skirt as she walks to the door. She turns to Aubrey, who's eyes are also a soft shade of red. "I'm sorry." Brittany says quietly, before leaving the room.

* * *

Santana was stretched out across her bed in sweats and a tank top, watching old reruns of _How I Met Your Mother_ when her phone rang.

Santana sits up quickly when she sees _Emily_ flash across the screen and brings the device to her ear. "Hello?"

" _Hey, Santana,_ " Brittany sniffles. " _Are you busy right now? Shit, you probably are, I'm sorry I shouldn't have—_ "

"Hey, hey. Slow down, sweetheart. What's wrong?" Santana asks quickly. "I'm not busy, where are you?"

" _I'm, ummm, leaving a small coffee shop right now. I just, I've had a really difficult day and I'm so sad right now._ " Brittany says sadly, causing Santana's heart to break. " _I had one friend and she doesn't even remember me._ " Brittany murmurs under her breath, but Santana hears anyway and frowns.

"Do you want to come over? Or I can come over there?" Santana offers. "Whatever you're more comfortable with, it doesn't matter to me."

" _Can I come over there?_ "

"Of course. You remember my address, right?"

" _Yeah, I think_." Brittany replies, her voice raspy from crying. " _Thank you, Santana._ "

"You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome Emily." Santana says softly. "I'll see you in a few, okay?"

" _Okay._ "

* * *

Nearly twenty minutes after ending the call with Brittany, Santana hears a knock on her door. She hops off of the couch, where she had been waiting for the blonde, and jogs to the foyer, not bothering to look through the peephole.

"Emily!" Santana smiles, before noticing the blonde's appearance and frowns. "Shit, is it raining outside?" She asks while quickly ushering Brittany inside.

"A little." Brittany nods, tucking a wet stand of hair behind her ear. Santana raises a brow, and Brittany laughs softly. "Okay, a lot. How did you not hear it? It's pouring."

"I don't know, but let's get you out of these wet clothes. You're soaked." Santana frowns and cups Brittany's cheek in her hand. "Do you feel sick? Should I get you some medicine, I don't want you getting sick?" She rambles, staring into dull blue eyes.

Brittany smiles at the woman's concern and shakes her head. "I'm fine, Santana. Do you mind if I shower, though? I feel kinda gross."

"No, of course not." Santana takes Brittany's hand in her own and leads her to her bedroom. "You can use my bathroom, I'll set some clothes out for you in here. Just come to the kitchen when you're finished, I'll heat up some soup I made earlier for you."

"You don't have to—" Brittany begins, but Santana shakes her head and sets a grey pair of sweatpants and white t shirt on the bed.

"I want to. I'll see you in a few, okay? Take your time." Santana kisses Brittany quickly, before walking out of bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Brittany smiles for a moment, staring in the direction Santana disappeared in— truly realizing for the first time how lucky she is to find someone like Santana.

* * *

"Hey, that didn't take long." Santana smiles as Brittany walks into the kitchen. She can't help but grin at how good the blonde looks in her clothes. "Are you hungry?"

"Very, and that smells amazing." Brittany nods while taking a seat at the island. Santana laughs and places a bowl full of vegetable soup in front of her.

"It's my grandmother's recipe, so it's obviously delicious." Santana winks, before taking a long drink from her bottle of water.

Brittany fills her spoon to the brim and carefully brings it to her mouth, her eyes widening at the taste. "Whoa, that is good." She says while licking her lips. "Your cooking is amazing."

Santana blushes. "It's nothing special." She mumbles cutely.

"Nothing special?" Brittany raises a brow and shakes her head. "Try the best food I've ever tasted. I would never grow tired of eating your cooking." The blonde smiles.

"Thanks, Em." Santana laughs. "Now do you want to tell me what the hell happened that had you so upset earlier?"

Brittany sets her spoon down and sighs. "Remember my friend, the one who was in the hospital for heart problems not that long ago?" Santana nods. "Well I visited her today, because I haven't seen her in awhile. Her daughter was there," She frowns. "And wasn't very friendly. She told me about her mother, who apparently has had Alzheimer's for awhile now." Brittany laughs bitterly, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "I'm not sure how I was so oblivious. It makes sense, but I guess I was too consumed with myself to realize it."

"Hey, hey, don't do that." Santana moves around the island and kisses Brittany's temple. "There was no way of you knowing if she had been taking her medication, and hadn't told you. Don't blame yourself for that."

"I don't have a lot of friends, you know." Brittany says softly, her eyes turning a soft shade of red. "She was one of the few who have stuck with me for awhile. I love her, she's like family to me." She sniffles, wiping away the tear that falls down her cheek. Santana rubs Brittany's back and nods, urging her to continue. "I wasn't aware of how she could easily forget me at any moment."

"I'm sorry." Santana says quietly, because she isn't sure what else there is to say. "I'm so sorry, Emily." She presses a soft kiss to her forehead and wraps her arms around her shoulders.

Brittany shakes her head and cries softly as Santana hugs her tightly against her chest. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay. I've got you."


	9. Chapter 9

Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, Brittany sighs with relief when Santana sets their dishes aside to deal with later. She easily slides off of the stool and allows Santana to grab her hand and lead her to the bedroom. Brittany snuggles deep into the satin sheets as soon as her body hits them, and relaxes further when Santana's body curls up against her.

"Goodnight," Santana whispers, her dark eyes warm and caring. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind Brittany's ear and nudges their noses together affectionately. "I'm glad you came over tonight."

"Me too," Brittany replies tiredly. She shifts forward and hugs herself close to Santana's chest, humming when Santana scratches her scalp lightly. "Thank you for being so amazing."

"You don't have to thank me for taking care of you." Santana says in her pillowy soft voice. Brittany nuzzles her nose into the woman's soft skin, content with the faint vanilla scent mixed with Santana's expensive perfume. "But you're so welcome."

After that, it doesn't take long for the combination of Santana's soft humming and the sound of rain pattering against the windows to lull Brittany into a deep and untroubled sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Brittany is awakened by a series of soft and gentle kisses against the back of her neck. She sighs happily, momentarily forgetting all of her worries as she rolls over to see Santana in all of her morning glory. There hasn't been a better sight, she thinks. "Hmmm good morning," Brittany smiles, leaning forward to peck Santana's bottom lip.

"Good morning, sleepy." Santana laughs softly, her lips forming a small smile. "Are you feeling any better? I know when I'm sad, sleep and snuggling always lift my mood a bit." Santana says shyly, making Brittany's heart flutter in the slightest. "I hate to see you so sad, since you're always so happy."

"I feel a lot better." Brittany replies honestly. She grins at the way Santana's eyes light up and gently tugs on the cloth material of the Latina's tank top. "C'mere."

Santana ducks her head and smiles. She shuffles forward and leans down slightly, dropping a light kiss on Brittany's waiting lips. "Are you hungry?" Santana murmurs and presses a kiss to the corner of Brittany's mouth before slowly sitting up.

"Kind of." Brittany nods. _That_ being somewhat of an understatement, since she hadn't eaten any real food the day before besides the soup Santana had made.

"Fantastic." Santana says giddily. "Did you have any plans for the day?"

"What's today?"

"Thursday."

Brittany grins and lifts herself up on her elbows. "Nope." She rests her head on Santana's bare thigh, staring up at the woman with bright eyes. "Did you?"

Santana shakes her head no, and Brittany's grin widens. "Fantastic." She echoes.

"Did you, maybe, want to spend the day together?" Santana asks, a sheepish smile on her face.

Brittany can't help but let Santana's cuteness effect her as she nods. "I'd love to."

She honestly couldn't think of a better way to spend her afternoon.

"Okay, cool." Santana tangles her fingers through Brittany's long blonde hair and smiles down at her. "I need to run into town to take care of a few things first, but after that I'm all yours."

"That's fine, I need to stop by my place and hang out with Della for a little bit. Did you want to meet up somewhere for lunch?" Brittany asks as she traces patterns against Santana's thigh with her index finger.

"We can do that, did you have anywhere specific in mind?"

"Pizza." Brittany says quickly. Santana's giggles cause her cheeks to redden as she hides her face against the woman's smooth skin. "It's kind of my favorite food right now and I haven't had it in a couple weeks." Brittany murmured.

"Well I know the perfect place to take you." Santana laughs.

"Hmm, 'Kay." Brittany tugs on the edge of Santana's top gently, signaling for her to lean down. Santana chuckles and lowers her head until she's met with equally soft lips against her own for the umpteenth time that morning. "Now if I remember correctly, you said something about breakfast?"

Santana rolls her eyes playfully as Brittany lifts herself off of her legs. "You're right I did." Santana grins and Brittany licks her lips. "Come on hungry, you can help me. I'll make eggs and bacon if you can do pancakes?"

Brittany's up and out of bed before Santana has the chance to convince her further. "Deal."

* * *

"Deeelllaaaa!" Brittany sing songs as she enters her apartment with an extra bounce in her step. She tosses her keys in the small ceramic bowl by the door before walking further into the living area, laughing when she nearly collides with the small dog. "Hey baby, I know I've been neglecting you a little. I'm sorry." Brittany coos as she squats down and cuddles the dog into her chest.

Della's barks and whines indicate that Brittany has indeed been lacking her usual attention.

"You'll be happy to know I've been spending time with Santana though," Brittany smiles at the thought of the woman. Della barks happily and Brittany laughs. "I'm glad you like her too, she's so sweet and God, she's gorgeous. I don't think I've ever seen someone so beautiful."

Della's tail wags back and forth rapidly and she licks the corner of Brittany's chin.

"Santana is just so... _Santana_." Brittany sighs happily. "She's caring and attentive and kind, she has a beautiful heart and the way she looks at me..."

Della cocks her head to the side and Brittany sighs. "We aren't even official yet and I already know that I'm too emotionally invested with her." Brittany holds Della tightly as she sits on the couch, her fingers lightly scratching behind the dog's ears. "So what now? Do I continue to protect myself, or just _be_?"

Della lowers her head onto Brittany's lap, closing her eyes. Brittany leans back and shakes her head. "I don't know either."

* * *

Despite her earlier conflict, Brittany walks into a small and quaint pizza place at exactly three thirty, the time both her and Santana had agreed on a few hours ago. She almost immediately spots Santana sitting at a small booth towards the back and heads her way.

Santana looks away from her menu and up at the blonde when she hears her slide into the seat across from her. "Hey Em!" Santana smiles brightly, waving excitedly as the blonde grabs a menu.

"Hey Santana." Brittany laughs softly. She scoots around the circular booth until she's close enough to kiss Santana's cheek. "Is this the awesome pizzeria you were referring to over the phone?"

"Yep, I love this place. The owner's son is one of my good friends, so I've been coming here for years." Santana tells her. "Family owned businesses always have the best food in my opinion, and homemade pizza is basically the icing on the cake for me."

"My grandparents owned a burger joint back in the twenties. I used to go there all the time growing up, my friends and I would always hang out there after school." Brittany says, smiling at the memory. She faintly remembers helping her grandmother prepare and serve the food to the customers when help was low. Though her specialty was mixing and prepping the milkshakes, specifically strawberry, she could do almost anything around the diner. Her father had always joked about the idea of her taking over the place when she got old enough, and turning it into a nationwide known business. McDonald's wouldn't have standed a chance, had the restaurant made it through tough times.

"How cool, they must have been in business for awhile then?" Santana asks, rather impressed.

Instead of agreeing like Santana had expected her to, Brittany shakes her head no. "They closed down during the Great Depression. They hardly had any business besides my family and a few of my friends— it was too much of a financial struggle to keep around."

Santana frowns. "But you said you spent time there with your friends after school."

"Yeah..." Brittany says, unsure of where Santana was coming from.

"It's just that, um, you're only thirty, which means you weren't born until _way_ after the thirties, when the Great Depression was." Santana explains. Brittany's stomach lurches when she realizes her careless mistake. "So you wouldn't have been able to hang out there if you—"

"Have you ever been to a Broadway show?" Brittany asks quickly.

Santana gives Brittany a weird look, but nods regardless. "I've been to a few."

"How about I get us tickets to a show next weekend?" Brittany suggests. "We can make a nice night out of it, maybe going to a nice restaurant either before or afterwards?" Santana's smile returns, and Brittany breathes a subtle sigh of relief, wanting to do nothing more than switch the subject.

"That'd be nice. I haven't been to a show in a few years actually," Santana nods as she sips her water. "We can see what's playing online after dinner, and hopefully get some tickets before they sell out."

Brittany mimics Santana's smile and kisses the woman chastely on the lips, just because. "Sounds perfect."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Rated M! ;)**

* * *

A night out seemed to be exactly what Brittany needed. The Broadway show she had gotten tickets for her and Santana was beyond amazing, honestly one of the best shows Brittany had seen in a long time. Musicals had always been a preference of hers, and Santana's too, so the performance was better than either of them could've imagined. It was truly magical.

Earlier, before the sun had set, Santana and Brittany had unanimously decided on going out to dinner afterwards, since the show was scheduled for seven o'clock, so Santana had called and made reservations at a swanky restaurant she found Uptown. Brittany didn't mind, she was quite excited actually, knowing she rarely had a reason to get all dolled up or show off her fancy dresses. Her early twenties had been spent partying like there was no tomorrow, but ever since the accident, Brittany had grandly toned down her act– only going out for the few holidays that actually required a celebration. Even then, she was usually home before midnight.

But now, as Brittany sits across from the most beautiful woman in the world (no doubt), she feels more _alive_ than she has in years. It's an amazing feeling, really. She wishes it would never go away.

"Something on your mind?"

Santana's smooth, sexy voice pulls Brittany from her nonstop thoughts and she looks up bashfully, her eyes meeting Santana's smoky ones sheepishly. "Sorry, I know I've been kind of out of it since we got here. I'm back now."

Santana laughs and pushes a few loose curls away from her face. "I don't mind it really. You're super cute when you're deep in thought."

Brittany's blush only deepens, and Santana's amused smile grows. "What were you saying, San?" Brittany asks, resuming to chop her steak in smaller pieces.

"Nothing important. Just that I think you look gorgeous tonight." Brittany looks down and Santana makes a small noise of denial. "No, Em, really. You've always been beautiful of course, but I never really see you so dressed up, and I love it."

"Santana.." Brittany's melts a little from the woman's honest kindness. It's too much for her to handle sometimes. "You look amazing too, you know."

"Oh, I know." Santana laughs, making Brittany chuckle too. "But thank you, Emily."

Brittany nods tentatively and shoves a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

An hour later, as the waitress takes away their plates and sets the check on the table— Brittany's surprised when she nearly has to fight Santana in order to pay the expensive bill.

"My meal was way more than yours. You shouldn't have to pay for it." Santana tries to reason, but Brittany simply shakes her head and yanks the check out of her well manicured hand.

"I took you out, I'm paying." Brittany replies as she slips her American Express card into the small folder. "Don't argue with me on this, Santana."

Santana pouts a little. Brittany leans forward and easily kisses it away.

"You're prettier when you smile." Brittany tells her with a wink, and smiles successfully when Santana grins shyly. "Just kidding, you're pretty all the time." She coos, pinching Santana's cheek gently.

"Oh, stop it," Santana wrinkles her nose and shakes her head out of the blonde's grasp. "You're making me blush like a teenager girl."

"It's cute." Brittany laughs. "I'm not ready for this night to end." She then says softly, her eyes trained on Santana's warm ones.

"Well we can head back to my apartment, I have a huge DVD collection and I'm stocked up on popcorn." Santana suggests with a smile. There's a small glint of something in the woman's eye that Brittany can't quite detect, but she likes it.

"Do you have some sleep clothes I could borrow?" Brittany asks even though she knows the answer.

"Of course," Santana grins. "I have plenty of your own clothes as well. You don't do a very good job of taking them with you when you stay over." She teases.

Well, Brittany doesn't need much more convincing than that. "Let me run to the restroom really quick, and then we can go."

* * *

Santana emerges from the kitchen with a large plastic bowl filled halfway with buttery goodness. Brittany nearly attacks her once toned tan legs hit the back of the large bed, holding a handful of popcorn before Santana has the chance to hit play on the movie.

"Whoa, easy tiger." Santana teases and lifts the bowl from her lap, carefully placing it in Brittany's. "It's not going anywhere."

"Sorry." Brittany murmurs through a mouth full of popcorn.

"You're so cute." Santana smiles and kisses her cheek quickly. "Let me get you some napkins, messy." She laughs, pulling herself off the bed and retreating to the kitchen once more. She returns seconds later with the roll of paper towels and two cans of Coke, deciding they had had enough wine at dinner.

Brittany lifts her arm and allows Santana to cuddle into her side, kissing the top of the Latina's head affectionately as she hits _play_ on the remote. Santana's hand rests innocently on Brittany's upper thigh as the opening credits roll on, and they both lean back against the headboard.

By the time the movie is halfway over with, Santana is sitting fully in Brittany's lap, her hands clasped behind the blonde's neck as her lips work wonders against the sensitive skin of Brittany's neck.

"You," Brittany breathes sharply, gently squeezing Santana's sides. "You're so good at that."

Santana giggles and nips at Brittany's neck before soothing the bite with her tongue. "So I've heard." She purrs into Brittany's ear. Well shit.

Santana gently nudges Brittany shoulders, and she quickly gets the hint, carefully lowering them back onto the bed. Santana easily adjusts, her thighs on either side of Brittany's as she peppers kisses along her well defined collarbone.

"Come here," Brittany whispers, her nails raking up and down Santana's toned arms until the woman lifts her head, staring at Brittany with an adorable confusion. She wants Santana in a close proximity, where she's able to stare at her gorgeous features unashamedly and find new freckles or wrinkles in the woman's near flawless skin.

"Beautiful." Brittany breaths, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind Santana's ear. She traces the tips of her fingers against Santana's jawline, studying the curve of her profile as Santana kisses her forehead.

It's moments like these when Brittany forgets where she is, who she is, or what anything is that isn't _Santana_. Everything about Santana, the way her eyes crinkle when she laughs too hard, or the way she blushes every time Brittany compliments her, but brushes it off when someone else does. Brittany knows she's falling, hard, for a woman she's known for a short while— and for the first time in forever, she doesn't find herself to care. Santana _is_ everything, and Brittany wants nothing more to connect to the woman in a way she knows she's been desiring for so long.

Santana's long hair forms a privacy curtain around them, protecting them from the outside world. Brittany nuzzles her nose against the soft skin of Santana's neck and sighs as her hands travel under the woman's thin tank top.

"Kiss me," Brittany breathes, her warm breath hitting Santana's slightly parted lips.

Santana does without hesitation.

* * *

Santana's lips against hers— Brittany has never felt something so exquisite. The way the woman's soft and full lips meld with her own perfectly satisfies Brittany in the best ways possible, she knows she'll never grow tired of this. Not likely. Ever.

Santana, now mindlessly straddling the blonde's lap, grinds her hips down against Brittany's roughly– and they're both groaning.

Santana's thighs clench against Brittany's sides and she breaks their kiss when air becomes a necessity. "Should we stop?" Santana asks breathlessly, her cheeks flushed and hair tousled. "I don't want us to get carried away if you aren't wanting to...You know..." And as much of a gentlewoman Brittany thinks she's being, she can't help but shake her head frantically and roughly pull Santana back down against her.

"Hell no." Brittany says firmly, and then her mouth is against Santana's again.

"Off," Santana tugs on the loose white shirt Brittany has on, staring daggers at the offending item. "Take. It. Off. I want to see you, all of you."

Something about the way Santana's voice is blended with her naturally sexy raspiness and a hint of authority forces Brittany to take a moment to calm herself down. No matter what type of sexual frustration she's built up for years, she refuses to ruin her first time with Santana by dry humping her like some sort of animal. No, she wants to do this right.

Brittany licks her lips and nods, watching as Santana climbs off of her before tossing her shirt behind her carelessly. "Your turn." She rasps, not realizing Santana had already removed herself of her t shirt and small pair of shorts.

"Let me," Santana husks, batting Brittany's hands away from the zipper of her jeans. Brittany swallows thickly as her hands fall limply at her sides, unsure of what to do with them.

Santana hooks her thumbs into the material of Brittany's jeans and underwear, pulling both items off in one swift swipe. The clothing falls in a heap to the floor as Santana crawls up Brittany's body, adorning her skin with hot wet kisses before meeting her swollen lips.

"Can I?" Santana whispers into Brittany's ear and brushes her thumb over the blonde's protruding hipbone, waiting for permission to move further inwards.

Brittany simply nods, not trusting herself to speak when Santana's _so close_ to her throbbing sex.

"'Kay." Santana hums, pressing a soft kiss to the shell of Brittany's ear as she slowly moves her fingers down.

"Oh my god." Brittany inhales deeply and slams her eyes shut as Santana's fingers moves through her drenched folds, slowly circling her sensitive entrance, before moving up to her clit.

"I'll go slow." Santana assures as she gently parts Brittany's folds, gathering the general wetness that seeps out. She vividly remembers Brittany stating that it's been awhile since she's last been intimate with someone, and wants the blonde to feel as comfortable as possible. "I won't even use my fingers, if you don't want me to. I can use my tongue."

Brittany's body trembles at both options. She takes a shaky breath before opening her eyes to meet Santana's near black ones. _Holy hell_. "Your tongue." She decides bashfully, and Santana smiles, pressing a sweet kiss to her flushed cheek.

"As you wish." Santana winks, slowly lowering herself down Brittany's body. As her mouth nears Brittany's aching center, she feels the blonde tense and halts her movements. "Everything okay?"

Brittany smiles slightly at the honest concern in Santana's question and nods. "Y-yeah, keep going. Please."

"Okay." Santana whispers, her hot breath hitting Brittany _there_. She licks around Brittany's folds, wanting to take things one step at a time, before gently dipping her tongue inside a few moments later.

"Oh, yes." Brittany hisses and tangles her fingers through Santana's hair, push her mouth back against her. The last time Brittany had been intimate with another woman was well over five years ago, but Brittany finds herself too distracted by the pleasure to feel worried.

Santana giggles, the vibrations sending Brittany into a spiral. "San-tan-a," Brittany whines the woman's name, wanting nothing more than for Santana to take care of her ever growing arousal. " _Stop teasing!_ "

Santana's tongue delves deep inside of Brittany and she sees stars. The noises coming from her mouth are almost incoherent as she whimpers and groans, trusting Santana with her body in a way she's never done before.

Santana's tongue works expertly, building Brittany up at the perfect pace, alternating between her entrance and clit. She spells her name into Brittany's folds before sucking on the hardened nub at the top, her thumb replacing her tongue when she knows Brittany's close.

"Come," Santana husks, her nose nudging the blonde's clit as she sucks Brittany's folds into her mouth, relishing the sweet taste. "Come for me, baby."

Brittany comes with Santana's name on her lips and Santana's mouth against her.

* * *

Brittany lies limply beneath Santana as the woman smiles brightly down at her. It's amazes her how Santana can look adorable and sexy as hell at the same time.

Once she's regained her strength from _the most mind-blowing orgasm ever_ , Brittany skillfully flips them, Santana laughing in surprise.

"I'm gonna kiss you know, okay?"

Santana bats her thick eyelashes at Brittany and nods, gripping onto the back of the blonde's neck as she lifts her neck to meet Brittany's lips.

Brittany runs her fingers through Santana's dark hair and gently nudges her further, pushing her tongue further into the woman's mouth. Santana moans audibly and allows Brittany to push her down against the bed, whimpering her name as she attacks her neck with gentle nips and wet kisses. It isn't long before Santana's bra and underwear join Brittany's.

Brittany stares at Santana's breasts with absolute delight. The caramel mounds are perfectly round, and her dark nipples are the most inviting sight Brittany's ever seen. She presses an opened mouth kiss to the space between Santana's breast— and then her lips are enclosed around a hardened nipple before Santana has the opportunity to react.

"Fuck," Santana arches, pushing herself further into Brittany's mouth. "So, so good. God, keep doing that." She pleads. Brittany easily accepts the request and takes her time paying equal attention to Santana's breasts, before Santana's patience wears thin, and she's pushing her hand to it's target in between her thighs.

"God, Santana," Brittany moans as her slender fingers travel the length of Santana's wet folds, kissing her neck softly. "You're so wet." She breathes, moving upwards to smear Santana's arousal against her swollen clit.

"Oh," Santana whines, hiding her face in the nook of Brittany's neck. "Inside...please...shit..." She whimpers, her legs quivering as Brittany's fingers dip tentatively inside her wet heat.

Brittany kisses Santana's cheek affectionately as she moves her fingers gently, starting off slow with one as she works the Latina up, before pulling out and pushing two inside. Santana lets out a shriek of pleasure and Brittany smirks victoriously, picking up her pace a bit.

Santana's moans become louder as a cluster of curse words tumble from her lips, her slim hips rocking up to meet Brittany's thrusts. Brittany moans at the feelings of Santana's inner walls clamping down against her fingers and presses gently on Santana's clit. "You feel so good," Brittany says breathlessly, her opposite hand coming up to cup Santana's cheek, forcing her into eye contact. "So good, Santana."

"I-I'm about t-to..." Santana gasps and arches her back. "F-fuck, I'm coming. Don't stop."

Brittany scoffs, as if she'd even want to.

As her fingers continue to fill Santana to the brim, Brittany takes a moment to stare down at the woman beneath her appreciatively. Santana's dark hair is cascaded out against the white sheets, her mouth forming a small 'o' shape with a deep crease in between her eyebrows. Her hardened nipples still show signs of Brittany's mouth previously taking claim there, a small wet ring surrounding each areole. Santana's stomach muscles continue to tense and tremble as she nears her release— and Brittany allows her eyes to travel down to her newly discovered area, a rush of arousal shooting down her body as she watches herself pleasure Santana.

"Fuck!" Santana screeches, grabbing a fistful of blonde hair and pulling her to eye level. Brittany ignores the pain and allows Santana to forcefully push their lips together in a wet, sloppy kiss.

Brittany hums and rests her head on Santana's bare chest, placing her ear right above Santana's frantic heartbeat. She slows her fingers and mindlessly traces a dark nipple as Santana comes down from her high, peppering soft kisses against the woman's chest as she melts into the bed.

"Oh my god." Santana breathes, clutching to Brittany tightly. "I-I can't..." She shakes her head and grips Brittany's right hand tightly, stopping the blonde from moving her fingers that are still buried deep inside her. "Too sensitive."

"Okay." Brittany leans up to kiss Santana's cheek softly. "I'll just keep it still okay?" She nods towards her hand for indication, and Santana nods.

"Okay." Santana agrees lazily.

* * *

Minutes later, Santana releases a strained gasp as Brittany slowly removes her fingers, restraining herself from clenching her thighs together at the feeling. She closes her eyes and sighs. The last time she had sex this good, was well...never.

Santana's eyes pop open from a slurping sound seconds later— and she nearly comes again when she sees Brittany licking her fingers clean of her arousal. "God damn..." Santana groans, feeling herself aching from the sight.

"You taste awesome." Brittany says happily, looking deep into Santana's eyes as she dips her index finger back into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it expertly.

"Em...seriously..." Santana weakly protests, her chest rising and falling more rapidly than it was a few moments ago. "I'm too sensitive for this."

"Then this shouldn't take long." Brittany replies sexily as she gently nudges Santana's legs apart. She brushes her thumb against the crease of Santana's thigh, laughing softly when the Latina nearly jumped out of her skin. "On a scale from one to ten, how sensitive are you right now?" Brittany asks as she lightly runs her finger through Santana's swollen folds.

Santana's hips buck and her head falls back against the pillow as she gasps loudly.

"I'll take that as a nine point eight." Brittany giggles. She then stops abruptly and her eyes darken. "I'm about to make you come again, okay?"

Santana's bites down on her bottom lip and nods slowly.

"Good." Brittany smiles. She thinks about kissing her way down but quickly decides against it. She wants Santana, and she wants her _now_.

"Fuck!" Santana writhes as Brittany's tongue moves flat against her swollen sex. "Oh fuck, shit."

Santana swears she could die in this very moment and be 100% satisfied with the way it happened.

* * *

Almost an hour later, smelling of sex and a mixture of their perfumes, Santana and Brittany lay cuddled together as they speak lazily to each other. Santana nuzzles her nose against the smoothness of Brittany's shoulder and sighs contently.

"I don't think I've ever come that hard before." Santana admits sheepishly as she mindlessly twirls a golden strand of blonde hair around her finger. "Your tongue does wonders for me."

"Well I've never tasted anything better than you, aside from my mother's old recipe for fried chicken, so we're even." Brittany laughs and kisses the side of Santana's head.

Santana lifts herself off of Brittany's chest and stares down at the blonde with a slight twinkle in her eyes. "Could you make that fried chicken for me one day?" She asks, licking her lips subconsciously.

Brittany smiles, nodding. "If you want."

"Oh, I do. Trust me." Santana says quickly, a faint blush covering her caramel cheeks. "There's nothing I love more than homemade fried chicken."

"I can make it for dinner one day, maybe sometime soon. I'll just need to run to the market to buy the ingredients." Brittany suggests.

"Sounds perfect." Santana tucks herself into Brittany's side as the blonde lifts Santana's satin sheets to cover them both.

"Thank you for giving me the best night ever." Brittany murmurs groggily into Santana's hair, barely managing to fight off the urge to sleep.

"I could thank you for the same." Santana replies, kissing Brittany's neck softly. "Goodnight, baby. Sleep well."

Brittany isn't sure if she mumbles back a response or not, but is nearly asleep when Santana whispers a barely audible Spanish phrase into her neck. Her heart rate quickens when she deciphers it, but Santana's soft snores and little puffs of air against her neck are enough to pull her into a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! If you have the time, do me a favor and check out a friend of mine's new story— "something beautiful through the eyes of another" by mixedbreedvibes. The concept is basically the story of future Brittana told by their daughter, which I think is an awesome take on things since I haven't read anything like that before! So check that out, follow, favorite, review and all that jazz.**

 **On with the story!**

* * *

Brittany groans and releases a small puff of air as she begins to rouse from her sleep and reach consciousness. She forces her eyes open and smiles at the sight before her— a very naked Santana pressed securely against her equally naked body. Images from the night before suddenly flood Brittany's mind, and she's forced to clench her thighs together.

Santana mumbles adorably into Brittany's neck before groaning softly, causing the blonde's smile to widen. She's gotten used to the Latina's sleepy talk by now, but it never fails to remind her just how cute Santana can be. It still amazes her how Santana can go from an adorable dork to a sex goddess in a matter of seconds— not that Brittany's complaining of course.

"Mhmm, y'smell good." Santana grumbles and unconsciously presses her lips against Brittany's neck. Brittany inhales sharply and runs her fingers up and down the expanse of Santana's bare back.

"What do I smell like?" Brittany can't help but ask as she grins. She feels Santana shrug in her arms and drops a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Me...sex..." Brittany feels Santana's smirk against her neck and blushes. "Fuck, you were so hot last night." Santana says and lifts her head, staring deep into Brittany's eyes.

Brittany bites her lip. "Just last night?" She teases.

"Hell no!" Santana laughs, resting one hand underneath her chin and the other flat against Brittany's abdomen. "You're hot all the time. Well, more like beautiful to me...but you know." Santana shrugs adorably and Brittany can't help but lean up and kiss her.

"You're one to talk..." Brittany's eyes darken as Santana lifts herself into a straddling position across her stomach. She feels Santana's sex press against her abs and shudders. "You're amazing, Santana. God, you're so beautiful I don't even know what to say..." Brittany breathes as her hand rests on a toned caramel thigh.

Santana giggles sexily and Brittany swallows thickly. She's sure this woman is going to kill her one day. "You don't have to flatter me anymore, Em, you already got me in bed." She grins. Brittany rolls her eyes before meeting Santana's darkened ones and suddenly her mouth goes dry. She recognizes this look from last night, right before Santana had fucked her into oblivion. She realizes Santana must be having the same thoughts when she feels something slick against her lower abdomen.

Brittany's eyes dart to where Santana's sex rests on her stomach, and bites back a moan when the Latina slowly drags her slick folds across abdomen. "Jesus Santana..." Brittany groans, her eyes glued to the damp trail shining against her skin.

"Fuck, I'm wet already." Santana whimpers and moves her hips again, parting her folds agonizingly slow against Brittany's skin. "Only you do this to me, baby," Santana husks. Brittany can't help herself when she reaches for Santana and roughly pulls her down against her, kissing her messily.

Brittany trails her hand down Santana's well defined abs and ghosts her fingers over Santana's core. She frowns in confusion when Santana moves her hand away and shakes her head.

"I want to try something." Santana smiles softly and scoots back a little. "Is that okay?"

Brittany nods and Santana's smile widens. "Okay, awesome." She watches curiously and patiently as Santana adjusts their legs and angles her body against Brittany's. Brittany moans loudly when she feels Santana's swollen sex meld with her own and throws her head back, arching further into the Latina.

"Fuck, you feel so good." Santana groans and grinds her wetness harder against Brittany's. They fall into a steady rhythm and Brittany grips at Santana's sides desperately as they get closer and closer to a beautiful release. "Oh god, oh god..." Santana pants and Brittany moans, squeezing Santana's ass as they speed up their pace.

"Santana, Santana..." Brittany stutters dumbly as she feels a new flood of Santana's juices seep into her sex. Santana trembles and rests her hand on Brittany's breast, squeezing it gently.

"I'm c-close baby, a-are you?" Santana asks breathlessly against Brittany's neck, where she has her face buried. Brittany can't respond verbally, so instead she nods frantically and bucks her hips one, two, three more times before they're both coming hard with each other's name on their lips.

Brittany sighs shakily as Santana slowly lifts her hips— their wet folds sliding against each other as they unstick from one another. Santana collapses against Brittany's chest and takes a few moments to catch her breath before using whatever body strength she has left to lift herself back up.

"Hmm, Hi." Santana smiles sheepishly as Brittany's kisses her nose and tangles her fingers together across Santana's sweaty back.

"Hi baby." Brittany smiles back. Santana's face lights up at the term of endearment and Brittany can't help but kiss her senseless.

"So...what do you wanna do now?" Santana asks as she trails her finger along Brittany's jawline.

"What, you mean you aren't up for round 2?" Brittany teases, but honestly wouldn't mind going hours and hours on end with her head between Santana's legs. Or Santana's head between hers. Either way would work.

Santana laughs and shakes her head. "As much as I love sex with you, I also love doing other things with you." She pecks Brittany's lips before removing herself completely from the blonde's embrace. Brittany whines in protest and reaches for her again. Santana giggles and allows herself to be pulled back into Brittany's arms. "I'm going to make us some breakfast, do you want anything special?"

"You." Brittany answers immediately.

"Em..." Santana warns.

Brittany rolls her eyes and reluctantly accepts the fact that it'll probably be a few hours before they have sex again. "I'll eat whatever you cook, Santana. You know I'm not picky."

Santana nods and loosely wraps her arms around Brittany's neck. "Eggs and bacon okay then?" She asks and smiles when Brittany rests her head against her chest.

"Eggs and bacon are perfect." Brittany lightly traces Santana's nipple and grins when the Latina's shudders. She rests her hands against the firm muscles of Santana's back and kisses the woman deeply. "And so are you."

Santana blushes and runs her fingers through Brittany's messy hair before kissing her again.

* * *

"Tomatoes?" Brittany questions as she stares down at the small list in her hands.

"Got it." Santana says after scanning over their cart. She briefly looks up and down the isle again before looking back to Brittany. "Can you think of anything else you might want?"

Brittany looks away from the list. "For taco salad?" She frowns.

Santana laughs and shakes her head, causing Brittany to blush. "No, silly. For whenever you come over." She smiles and shrugs a little. "I want to make sure I have snacks you like too."

Brittany freezes. From Santana's simple question, she realizes just how serious their relationship is getting and begins to panic. "Uh n-no. I'm good." She says quickly. "Can we go now?"

Santana stares at her in confusion. "Are you okay?" She asks, her eyes filled with sincere concern as she takes a step closer to the blonde.

Santana's frown deepens when Brittany takes a step back. "I'm fine, I just, I'm not feeling well." It wasn't a complete lie, Brittany feels like her stomach is tangling in knots and she might be sick at any given moment.

"Oh, okay." Santana's concern doesn't waiver as she grabs their cart and follows Brittany towards the check out. "Do you need me to get any medication? I have Tylenol and Pepto—"

"I'm fine, Santana." Brittany snaps, cutting the woman off. Santana stares at Brittany and the blonde sighs. "Just, just stop worrying about me, okay? I'm an adult, I can take care of myself."

"I didn't realize caring irritated you so much." Santana mumbles. Guilt instantly settles over Brittany and she quickly backtracks, realizing what she had done.

"Santana—"

"Save it." Santana shakes her head, setting the items on the conveyer belt forcefully. Both the cashier and Brittany jump a little. "We will talk later."

Brittany swallows thickly and nods. They load the groceries silently and Brittany stands off to the side as Santana pays, knowing the _who pays_ argument wouldn't fly now.

Once they're back at Santana's apartment and the groceries have been put away in their respectful places, Santana took Brittany's hand and led her to the living area. Brittany bit her lip and tried to keep herself from shaking from her visible nervousness as Santana sat an arms length away.

When Brittany opens her mouth to apologize, Santana holds up her hand and quickly stops her. "Please, let me speak." She requests softly. Brittany nods and shifts a little as she waits for Santana to talk.

"Listen, Emily, you're special to me okay? I hope you realize just how much you mean to me because..." Santana sighs and shakes her head. "This isn't what the conversation is about. We're both aware of what happened in the grocery store, right?"

Brittany feels alarmed when she sees the unshed tears in Santana's eyes but doesn't know if she's allowed to comfort the Latina right now. So instead she simply nods and remains quiet.

"You can't, Em, you can't keep doing that to me." Santana speaks softly and swiftly wipes a tear away. "It's been happening a lot recently, and out of nowhere. You either snap at me or yell at me and that hurts, especially when I know I haven't done anything to you."

Brittany nods furiously. "Santana, I know, and I'm so sorry—"

"Listen, please." Santana repeats firmly. She smiles faintly when Brittany obliges and remains silent. "I know we haven't put a label on our relationship, but I would like to think that we're both taking it seriously enough to respect each other. I respect you, so much, but I feel like the feeling isn't mutual sometimes, especially when you take out whatever built up frustrations you have on me."

Brittany shifts her gaze from Santana's eyes to her lap. "Can I say something now?" She asks softly.

"Yes." Santana nods. "Please do."

Brittany hesitantly meets Santana's eyes again and wipes her clammy palms against the material of her jeans. "I'm so sorry." She says immediately. "You're right, I do get frustrated with myself often and I have no right to take it out on you. No right at all, you of all people don't deserve to be lashed out on. Especially when it's out of your control." Brittany shifts forward and slowly takes Santana's hands in her own, smiling when the woman doesn't pull away. "I'm dealing with some personal things, some things I'm not ready to share with you yet. But I will, one day." Brittany adds quickly, noticing the frown on Santana's face. "I just need some time. So please, please be patient with me."

Santana's silent for a moment, which feels like hours to Brittany, but visibly relaxes when the Latina nods. "Okay." Santana agrees, giving Brittany's hand a gentle squeeze. "But please don't snap at me like that again. I was only worried about you, I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself."

"Come here." Brittany whispers, releasing Santana's hands and patting her lap. Santana blushes as she adjusts her body to straddle the blonde, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Santana, I don't mind you being worried. I like it a lot actually, when you worry about me, when you take care of me." Brittany smiles as her mind drifts into an endless sea of thoughts. Santana related thoughts. "Never hesitate to worry about me. Just be your perfect, sweet self and I'll be fine."

Santana smiles brightly and Brittany's insides fill with warmth.

* * *

 **5pm the next day**

Brittany tosses her keys in the ceramic bowl she recently placed on the table next to the door and hangs her coat up before walking further into the apartment. She smiles as she grabs the newspapers tossed carelessly on her coffee table and takes a moment to look through them. The blonde kicks her shoes off and frowns in confusion when she realizes Della hasn't greeted her yet.

"Della?" Brittany calls out, pulling herself to her feet as she looks around the living room. "Della? Where are you baby?" Brittany yells. Her panic rises when Della is still nowhere to be found. "Fuck."

Brittany runs through the apartment, checking the kitchen, the guest room, the bathroom, before finally reaching her bedroom. Della's resting peacefully atop her bed and Brittany's heart rate slows— she can breathe normally again.

"Jesus Christ Della, you scared the shit out of me." Brittany sighs and rests her palm on Della's head. It's then she realizes the dog is shaking and whimpering. Brittany jerks her hand back and falls to her knees in front of her dog. "Della?" Brittany whispers, and jumps when Della howls loudly before vomiting on her bed.

"Oh god." Brittany whimpers and quickly gathers the dog in her arms. She frantically runs to the living area and grabs her phone before leaving the apartment, barely managing to remember to lock the door in her haze of panic.

The next couple of hours go by in a blur. After reaching the animal clinic on the opposite side of town, Brittany was forced to wait almost an hour for Della to be seen. She doesn't remember much aside from the veterinarian saying something about kidney failure and blood transfusions, then finally saying the only option left would be to put her to sleep because of the damage.

Brittany leaves the clinic, unsure of what she was doing or where she was going. She keeps Della's collar tied tightly around her wrist and moves mindlessly through the streets of New York City. She doesn't blink again until she realizes she's outside of Santana's apartment building. Unlike the last time something traumatic happened to someone she loved so much, Brittany makes her way inside and up the stairs, knocking on the door and staring blankly at the shiny paint until she's met with Santana's beautiful face.

"Emily!" Santana beams, but quickly frowns when she takes in the blonde's appearance. "Baby, what happened?" She says softly, urging Brittany inside and closing the door behind them.

"I don't–" Suddenly the past few hours come rushing back to the blonde, and Brittany collapses in Santana's strong arms, sobbing openly and brokenly into Santana's chest.

"Oh baby," Santana breathes, stroking Brittany's hair and peppering kisses to her head. "Come here, let's go to my room." Brittany nods and follows, tears still streaming down her face as she cries noisily and grips onto Santana as if her life depended on it.

"I'm going to grab some comfortable clothes for you to change into, okay?" Santana speaks in her softest and sweetest tone as she smooths Brittany's hair back and kisses her wet cheeks. "Stay right here, sweetheart. It'll only take me a few seconds."

Brittany finds herself nodding as Santana jogs to her closet and shuffles through the mess before reappearing in front of the blonde with a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. "Do you want to shower baby?" Santana asks as she stares into dull blue eyes.

Brittany nods again and Santana smiles. "Okay. Wait, how about I run you a nice hot bath and add in some bath salts? So you can relax and calm down a little?" Santana suggests. "Would that be okay?"

Brittany nods. Santana nods. They both breathe. "Let's go, sweetheart." Brittany takes Santana's stretched out hand and follows her to the en suite bathroom. Santana has her sit on the toilet seat lid while she sets everything up, even lighting a few candles she had handy to soothe the blonde more.

Five minutes later, Santana takes Brittany's hands again and helps her stand. "I'll go fix you something to eat while you relax, okay?" Santana frowns when Brittany shakes her head frantically and tightens her grip. "You want me to stay?" Santana asks for clarification.

"Please." Brittany manages to squeak out.

Santana softens and nods. "Sure, of course. Anything you want baby." They undress slowly and Santana takes their clothing and folds it neatly on the counter when they're completely naked. She gathers her hair and pulls it into a messy bun on top of her head, before doing the same with Brittany's.

Santana climbs into the tub first, scooting back as far as she's able to go before helping Brittany climb in. Brittany's back meets Santana's front and she feels her eyes begin to fill with tears again. "I don't deserve you." Brittany sniffles and hangs her head down.

Santana frowns and tightens her arms around Brittany's body. "What— of course you do. What are you talking about?" When she receives no response, Santana sighs and coaxes Brittany to lean back. "Look at me baby." Santana commands gently.

Brittany sniffles and leans back against Santana's chest, tilting her head upwards to meet the dark eyes staring back at her. "What happened, Emily?"

Emily. The name makes Brittany cry harder.

"Okay, okay. You don't have to tell me right now, it's okay." Santana assures and cups Brittany's face in her hand. "It's okay baby. I've got you." Santana murmurs as she showers Brittany's skin with soft and sweet kisses.

Brittany curls further into Santana's embrace and sighs shakily against her collarbone. "Thank you."

"I've already told you, you don't have to thank me for taking care of you." Santana whispers, resting her cheek against Brittany's. "But you're welcome, baby."

"My chest hurts from crying so much." Brittany tries to laugh several minutes later, but ends up releasing a new flood of tears.

"Sometimes I cry that much too." Santana rubs Brittany's sides soothingly and presses a kiss to her clammy forehead. "But you know what makes me feel better?"

"What?"

"Music." Santana smiles faintly as she combs her fingers through Brittany's hair. "I'm going to sing you a song that means a lot to me for a handful of reasons. It usually calms me down when I hear it, so hopefully it'll do the same for you." Brittany adjusts herself against Santana's chest to be able to look up at the Latina as she clears her throat. Santana winks at her before singing softly.

 _For you, there'll be no more crying._

 _For you, the sun will be shining._

 _And I feel that when I'm with you,_

 _It's alright, I know it's right._

 _And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score._

 _And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before._


End file.
